Her Strength
by Mooifyou'recows
Summary: Lucy doesn't want to be protected anymore. In her desperation to be seen as capable in her friends' eyes, Lucy sets out on the path to becoming powerful. Only one problem: Natsu just always seems to get in her way. So what happens when the two of them are kidnapped and Natsu is rendered useless? Lucy's greatest chance arises. Soon, everyone will know her strength.
1. Chapter 1

"So what you're telling me is," Lucy pulled the left side of her light blonde hair up into a pigtail, "I'm going to be bait… _again_."

"That's right!" Happy threw his paws up in the air with a cheerful grin.

She sighed and tied a pink ribbon around the leather hair tie she used to capture the pigtail.

"Don't be so down, Lucy," Natsu said, hands folded behind his head as he leaned casually back in the wooden chair he sat in. "The guy we're after only shows up if there's a young attractive woman around."

"Yeah…" she worked on the other half of her hair.

"And since Erza's not around, you're kind of our only option," Happy added.

Lucy glared at him, "Sorry I'm not attractive enough to be your _first_ choice."

"Hey don't worry about it Lucy!" Natsu slapped her on the shoulder, causing her to drop her ribbon. "I'll be nearby to grab the guy once he shows up! You won't even have to lift a finger! Just sit around and act like easy prey!"

_Is that all I'm good for?_ she wondered with a frown as she retrieved her ribbon.

"Me and Natsu will hide in the wardrobe," Happy said, pointing at the decided hiding place on the other side of the room. "And then as soon as he shows his face, we'll jump out and kick his butt!"

"Yeah!" Natsu squeezed his right hand into a fist, "We'll kick his ass and make him tell us where the other girls are!"

"Let's do it Natsu!" He and Happy high-fived.

"Wait, wait, wait," Lucy held up her hands. "Weren't you paying attention to the innkeeper?" Happy and Natsu looked at her in confusion. She sighed and rubbed her left temple. "Of course you weren't…"

"There's a pervert that needs his ass whooped," Natsu said. "That's all I need to know."

"Your normal tactics won't work with this guy," she pointed to him sternly. "The innkeeper said that he uses teleportation magic. And not just that, but at the faintest hint of danger, he runs and disappears for months before reappearing again in a completely different location!"

"So?"

"So… we only have _one _shot," she punched her right fist into her left palm. "If you just come barreling out of that closet, hands blazing, he's going to turn tail and flee and then we'll be screwed."

"Then how should we do it?"

"You gotta be sneaky, Natsu!" Happy decided.

"You mean…" his eyes ignited and a slow grin crept across his face. He and Happy leaned close and both exclaimed,

"Like ninja!"

Natsu began wrapping his scarf around his pink hair as Lucy sighed.

"Not this again…"

"Princess."

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin, delivering a small shriek as the woman dressed neatly in a maid's outfit appeared at her side. She lifted her right hand, iron manacle around her wrist clanging gently.

"I have returned."

Lucy clutched her bosom, "Virgo! Don't scare me like that!"

"Apologies Princess. Would you like to punish me?"

"No, I'll get over it. So how'd it go?"

Virgo hid her pout and pulled the loop of rope from where it rested tied to her hip. "I brought what you requested."

"Perfect!" Lucy took the rope with a smile.

"Princess," Virgo drew her attention again. "Big Brother told me to tell you that he doesn't approve of your plan and that he demands to be summoned at once."

"Did he now…" she shook her head, "It'll be fine. I have Natsu here after all. Thank you for bringing me this, you may go now."

"Punishm—"

Lucy sent her back to the celestial spirit world before she could finish.

"Natsu, look. This is how we're going to—" Lucy turned towards his chair, but it was empty. She glanced around the room in confusion. "Natsu?"

"_Fire dragon—_"

Lucy whipped her head up in the direction of his voice.

"_Ceiling drop!_"

Lucy screamed and dove out of the chair as Happy dropped Natsu above her head and he came plummeting down to the floor. A loud crash echoed through the room as Natsu's body destroyed the chair Lucy once sat in, sending splintered wood flying across the room. She rolled onto her back, mouth dropping open.

"_Are you trying to kill me_?" she squeaked, hands shaking.

Happy flew down and perched on the back of Natsu's chair. "If you want to be sneaky like ninja, Natsu, maybe you shouldn't yell out your move before you attack."

Natsu sat up, brushing splinters from his hair, "It's not the same, though."

"Will you two just listen to me for once?"

Happy and Natsu turned their attention to Lucy, who climbed unsteadily to her feet.

"What's up, Lucy?" Natsu leaned back on the heels of his hands.

She held up the rope, "This is how we are going to catch this guy."

Natsu blinked slowly. "Rope."

"Not just any rope," she grinned triumphantly. "This is rope from the celestial spirit world. It has special properties."

"Is it fireproof?" Natsu's hand ignited.

"No!" she clutched the rope to her chest. "Stay away! Don't ruin it!"

Natsu snuffed out the flame on his hand and frowned.

"This rope has nullifying magic in it," she informed them. "When it's wrapped around a mage, he can't use his magic."

"So it's like the magic of that cat girl in the Tower of Heaven?" Happy asked.

"Exactly!" Lucy smiled. "Except that this rope doesn't move on our command. If we are going to use it on our target, we have to find a way to get it around him quickly before he has the chance to escape."

"I don't get it," Natsu sighed. "Why don't I just kick the crap out of him like I usually do?"

Lucy pushed air out of her nostrils in frustration.

"Natsu doesn't understand, Lucy," Happy said. "Maybe you should explain it again."

She glared at him and then grabbed Natsu's wrist, pulling him to his feet. "Look, just sit in the wardrobe and wait. Okay? I know what to do. Just be sure not to come out until I call for you, okay?"

She dragged him across the room and opened the wardrobe.

"But that sounds really boring," Natsu whined as she stuffed him in between white shirts hanging inside.

"Just trust me, Natsu," Lucy said, grabbing Happy by the scruff of his neck as he attempted to flee. She tossed him into the wardrobe. "I know I can handle this. Now _be quiet_." She grabbed the doors of the wardrobe and paused. She glanced at his frowning face and added, "_Like ninja_," and closed the door firmly.

Lucy grinned in excitement and rushed to clean up the mess of the shattered chair. She swept the debris under the bed quickly and set up her trap. She moved the chair Natsu had been sitting in to the center of the room and looped the rope casually around the top corner of the backrest. She stepped back and admired her handiwork. The rope was neither very conspicuous nor suspicious. She rushed across the room to the vanity next to the bed and peered into the mirror. She straightened her hair and examined her teeth. She loosened the lacing on the chest of her dress, allowing light to fall on her cleavage. When she was satisfied with the intensity of her seduction, she travelled back across the room to the window on the far wall. She pushed the curtains aside, grabbed a book from the shelf beside it and then sat on the padded sill.

She flipped to a random page in the book and feigned a look of interest at the words she didn't read.

A creak sounded from the wardrobe and she held back a frown.

"She looks like she's enjoying this, doesn't she Natsu?" a whisper floated across the wooden floors.

"Sure does," Natsu's agreement chased. "What do you suppose she's thinkin'?"

Lucy held the book up to her face, hiding her mouth as she hissed, "_You're the worst ninjas ever_!"

They fell silent and she lowered the book again. Several minutes ticked by without incident. She was growing impatient. When was he going to show up? They had evacuated the entire inn of women. She was the only one their target could steal and yet he was nowhere to be found.

Heat touched her cheeks. _Don't tell me, he's not interested_? she thought sourly. Great. Not even perverted thieves wanted to touch her. She'd never get a boyfriend at this rate. Not that she was looking for one. _But still_, she scowled and flipped the page of her book. _Am I really that undesirable_?

She let out a sigh.

_Of course not. Loke is always saying I'm beautiful._ She frowned again. _Then again, he says that to _every _girl._

"She's making an ugly face," a whisper broke her irritated reverie.

"Yeah, what's that about?"

"Her brilliant plan isn't working."

"Told her."

Lucy hid her mouth behind the book, "_Shut up!_"

Another half hour crept by.

"I spy something red."

"Is it Lucy's panties?"

"Yep!"

Lucy dropped her legs to the floor, cheeks flaming.

"Okay, my turn. I spy something black."

"Is it the lace on Lucy's bra?"

"Yeah!"

Lucy shrugged the strap of her dress over her bra.

"I spy something really sad and pathetic."

"Is it Lucy?"

A sigh, "Sure is, Natsu. Sure is."

Lucy slammed her book shut and pushed to her feet in annoyance. "Fine—" her angry shout was cut short at the appearance of the man in the center of the room. She gasped and took a step backwards. The back of her knees bumped into the padded sill and she fell onto her behind.

"Wh-who are you?" she stuttered out. But in her mind she was thinking, _Yes! Finally! I knew he'd show up!_

The man was dressed lightly in a black long sleeved shirt with the top three buttons undone to reveal swooping black lines on the surface of his skin beneath. His jeans fit tight to his long, muscled legs and his long silver hair was tied with a leather tie at the base of his neck.

_This… is our guy_? Lucy gulped. He didn't look like a criminal that snuck into women's rooms at night and spirited them away. His green, almond shaped eyes were kind. His mouth was curved into a gentle smile and Lucy couldn't help but find him quite… well, attractive. He looked less like a pervert and more like a suave carriage salesman.

"Do you work for the inn?" Lucy continued, clasping her hands nervously in her lap. "I didn't hear you knock on the door…"

The man's eyes glinted and his soft smile twisted into a dark grin. A creeping sensation slithered across the room and sent chills up Lucy's spine. A musty, oily fog prodded into her mind and she quivered.

No. This was him. It had to be. No ordinary man could have such a disgusting aura. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her knees, an uncanny sense of terror suddenly striking. She couldn't stand up. If she did, she knew she'd collapse. What was this feeling? She had never felt this way before. Not even when cowering in the shadow of Acnologia that day so long ago on Tenrou Island.

This was an unnatural fear, planted into her mind by that greasy fog. Her fingers twitched. Her keys… if she could just get to her keys and call someone… anyone…

No. She couldn't. Not now. She had a mission to complete. She had to remain calm so that she could get the ropes around him.

"E-excuse me," she couldn't keep the fear from her voice. "Who are you?"

The man stepped forward and Lucy pressed her back against the cool glass of the window.

"I'm your salvation," his voice was soft and low.

"M-my…"

"I've come to collect you," he said, drawing ever nearer. "Such a beauty… Let me wash the dirtiness from your pale skin…" He reached a hand out, grasping for her chin.

She flinched away, "W-wait."

He paused, confusion momentarily flitting across his features. "Wait…"

Lucy compiled together all of her courage, comforted by the warmth of her keys at her hip. She inhaled deeply. "You say you are my salvation?" tears touched her brown eyes. "If that's true… Then I'm so happy you are here…"

He was taken aback. Lucy pushed to her feet, knees knocking together. She inched closer to him. "I've done things. Things that I… that I regret. You said you'll wash me? Remove me of my sins, right?"

His mouth twitched up, "That's right."

She feigned a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you. How can I repay you?"

"You need only come with me—" he held his hand out to her.

"Where will you take me?"

"A safe place where we can begin your rehabilitation."

Lucy took a step towards him. He moved backwards warily.

"My rehabilitation," she pushed him back further. "To make me pure, right?"

"Yes."

"Before we go," Lucy reached her hands out and touched his chest. The connection made her skin crawl and fear bit hard and fast at the base of her neck. "Allow me just this one more sin."

They made it to the center of the room and Lucy pushed him lightly down on the wooden chair. He leaned back and stared up at her with glinting green eyes. "I will allow it," his voice was low and thick with warning. "But your boldness will not go unpunished."

Lucy hiked her skirt up high on her thighs and quickly, before she had the good sense to change her mind, straddled the man's hips.

"I will gladly risk it," she whispered breathlessly. The fear was choking, suffocating. But she forced herself to press close to his broad chest, sliding her hands slowly up from his stomach to his shoulders. "What's your name?" she asked, running her fingers lightly up the sides of his neck.

He captured her hands in his and lifted them high above her head, pulling her torso tight. His eyes wandered lazily over the hitched way her chest rose and fell at her panicked breathing.

"You'll call me Azamin," he said. He shifted her wrists in his grip so that he held both with his left hand and dropped his right to her cheek. He traced the contour of her jaw line slowly.

Lucy's eyes flickered to the rope hanging on the corner of the backrest. How was she going to get to it while he was restraining her? His grip was painfully tight. She wasn't even positive she'd be able to break from it if she tried.

_Patience_, she thought, turning her gaze back to his clouded eyes. If there was one thing she learned from working with Natsu these past years, it was that when you were stuck in a hopeless situation, sometimes the best thing to do was to wait for the next opportunity to present itself.

Surely one would come. And when it did, she would take full advantage of it. Because unlike Natsu, who preferred to dive headlong into any disaster with flames burning in both fists, Lucy understood the importance of the plan. She knew the value of patience, and strategy, and…

Azamin leaned forward and pressed his face into the tender skin of her throat, inhaling deeply.

Lucy screeched inwardly as creeping chills ran rampant up and down her body. _No, no, no! Get his nasty greasy breath off of meeeeee!_

"_Fire dragon_…" heat blasted Lucy's back and radiated through the room, "_Wardrobe-splosion!_"

Lucy shrieked as she was knocked into Azamin and they were both sent tumbling backwards over the chair and to the floor as flying debris rained down around them.

"Wah!" Lucy rolled off of Azamin and slapped at the flames licking the hem of her skirt. "Hot! Hot!"

"What the hell, Lucy?" Natsu stomped over the destruction that used to be the wardrobe. "I thought you said you could handle it!"

"I _was _handling it!" she shouted back to him, finally dousing the fire. "I was just about to put the nullification rope on him when you—"

"It looked more like you were putting the moves on him," Natsu grumbled.

"I _had _to in order to get close enough to—"

Azamin climbed to his feet, clutching the loop of rope in his right fist tightly. "It was an act," he muttered.

Lucy gulped and stared up at him. The unnatural fog of fear struck her again and moisture filled her eyes. Her heart raced and the strength left her muscles. She clamped her hands over her mouth to keep from letting out a sob.

"N-Natsu," Happy clung to Natsu's shoulder, ears pulled low over his face.

"D-don't worry about it, Buddy," Natsu said, failing to keep the shiver from his voice. His right leg buckled and he nearly stumbled to the ground but held his stance shakily. "From now on, we're doing it _my _way." He cracked his knuckles and pointed to Azamin. "You ready to get your ass kicked properly?"

The man ignored him and glared down at Lucy. "An _act_."

"Of course it was an act!" she shouted. "What makes you think anyone would willingly touch a disgusting piece of waste like you?"

A grin flashed across his features and he leaned towards her, a maniacal laugh ripping from his throat. "_Perfect_!" he reached for her. "_Your punishment awaits!_"

"_DON'T TOUCH HER!_" Flames shot between them. Azamin pulled his hand back, turning his attention to the pink-haired man now hurtling across the room, flaming fist cocked and ready.

"Hmph," Azamin draped the rope over his shoulder. He said, "Some other time, then," and then disappeared. Natsu punched the air where he once stood.

"Where'd that bastard go?" He whirled in a circle and then prowled through the room in search.

The fear drained from Lucy's body and she slumped back in relief. _What kind of magic was that? _she wondered. Fear magic. She had never heard of such a thing existing before. What a frightening ability, indeed.

"Lucy…" a weak voice came. Happy stumbled over the chair and threw himself against her chest. "I— was— so— scared!"

Lucy wrapped him up in her arms, "You were scared too, huh?"

She could feel his tiny body quivering in her grasp.

"It's alright now," she rubbed his head soothingly. "He's gone now. Natsu and I won't let anything happen to you, Happy."

Natsu finished a quick search of the hallway outside of the room and returned. "The asshole got away."

"Well what did you expect?" Lucy snapped. "I told you to wait! I was going to get the rope on him!"

He shrugged, "You were taking too long."

Lucy climbed to her feet, cradling Happy in her arms. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here. Now we're not going to get paid because of you."

Natsu laced his hands behind his head and followed her out of the room. "Oh well."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"So Natsu, tell us how your last job with Lucy went," Erza sat at the table with cake in hand. Her armor clanked softly.

Natsu glared at her, chin resting on the table. "Lucy's mad at me."

"What did you expect?" Gray rolled his eyes, calmly pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it onto the ground behind him from his spot next to Natsu. "The guy got away because of you, didn't he?"

He grumbled and looked away.

Erza shook her head slowly, "You shouldn't fight with Lucy, Natsu. It throws off the entire balance of the guild to have two of its members with such discord between them."

"What are you talking about?" He scowled. "Me and Gray fight all of the time."

"Gray isn't Lucy," Erza took a bite of her cake and held her cheek in her hand, moaning gently. "Your fight with her won't be settled with an exchange of blows."

"That's right," Gray leaned on his elbow, pushing his folded pants across the table as he stared at the pink haired guy beside him. "You and I fight almost every day. It'd be weirder if we suddenly loved each other. But Lucy…" he glanced over his shoulder at the blonde slumped over the bar next to the guild master. Makarov was eying her in a sideways glance as he gulped from a draft of alcohol. Gray turned back to Natsu, "Lucy never gets mad. Especially not at you. You should make up quickly."

Natsu grumbled and crossed his arms on the table in front of his face, "Why?" he said half-heartedly. "I didn't do nothin' wrong."

##

"How long do you plan to fight with the boy?" Makarov asked, setting his draft onto the bar beside his hip.

"The guild doesn't feel the same with you two moping," Mirajane observed from the other side of the counter, drying off a glass with a white rag.

Lucy sighed and sat up slightly, holding her head in the palm of her left hand.

"Master…" she began. She bit her lip and then locked him with a serious stare, "Back in the Grand Magic Games… you chose me to be on a team with Gray, Erza, Natsu, and Wendy."

He nodded. "That I did."

"_Why_?" she looked away. "I understand Erza, Gray, and Natsu. They're strong. Unbelievably strong. I even understand Wendy because of her support magic and her obvious popularity with the judges… but… why _me_?"

Makarov gulped his drink.

"I mean…" Lucy rested her chin on her folded arms once more. "I was useless the entire games. And I knew I would be useless straight from the beginning. Why didn't you choose Elfman in my place from the start?"

"Tell me something, Lucy," Makarov leaned on his knee and stared intently. "Do you think you're useless?"

"I just said I did," she murmured dejectedly. "I can't fight without my keys. Even with them, I can't complete a simple job. A celestial spirit is only as strong as the mage that summoned him. And I'm too weak to do them any justice."

Makarov nodded quietly.

"I just wish that I was as strong as everyone else," she whispered. "I want to be able to protect them for once."

Mirajane set the glass down and picked up another, her usually smiling face was serious.

"Listen up," Makarov said, drawing both of their attentions. He downed the rest of his drink and slammed the empty draft on the bar. He pointed at her, "You're strong. _That's _why I picked you for the Grand Magic Games. I can see that deep down inside of you, you have just as much potential as every one of these brats scurrying around here." He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. "You just haven't had the chance to prove it yet."

"I've had plenty of chances," Lucy sat up with a sigh. "But—"

"They always ruin it for you, don't they?" he glanced at her.

"What?"

"The others. Your team."

She looked away.

"I want you to think about what makes each and every one of them so powerful. Think of Gray," they stared at the nearly naked boy laughing and punching Natsu on the shoulder as he pouted. "That boy had his master's training pounded into him at a very young age. He went through incredible exercises in freezing weather, and he watched as his master died protecting him."

Gray, seeming to feel their stare, turned in his seat. He caught their eyes and delivered a grin and a wink.

"He and Lyon are Ur's only students. He has her heart and sacrifice fueling his power today. He needs to do his best always so that her name is never soiled," Makarov said. "He gets his power from the love he feels for his precious master, even though she's been gone for years."

Lucy gulped. She had never thought about Gray's origin of power before. He was just strong and he continued to grow stronger and stronger since she first met him. That was just a fact.

"Look at Erza," Makarov went on. "A child of poverty. She experienced more torture before her twelfth year than most of us have experienced in our entire lives, myself included," he stroked his mustache. "Since the beginning she has lived by her code. Her ideals of peace and order. The ideals she saw here in this guild. Her power is fueled by her belief that she was given her strength for a reason. That reason being to protect this world. To rid it of the evil that she had seen from such an early age."

Erza finished off her cake and hugged herself with a look of pure joy on her face. She pointed her fork at Natsu and spoke, enticing an angry shout from him.

"Now," Makarov sighed, smiling ruefully. "Look at Natsu."

Fire burst from his mouth as he shook his fists over his head, challenging the others at the table.

"He has lost something precious to him. Igneel, his father, his only friend for the first years of his life."

Lucy watched him quietly as he and Gray faced off, foreheads nearly touching as they taunted each other.

"Family is the single most important thing to that boy. He views every one of his friends and comrades as his family. And when he sees one of them is in the slightest bit of danger, his power increases tenfold."

"A hundredfold," Lucy corrected, mouth curving up in a smile.

"That's right," Makarov matched her smile. Erza stood and grabbed both Natsu and Gray by the ear and yanked them back down to the table. She lectured them shortly before releasing them and crossing her arms over her chest. Natsu and Gray sat up, rubbing their ears with scowls.

"What I'm saying is," Makarov cleared his throat. "Everyone's power stems from some deeper motive. I believe you have incredible power inside you. Power fueled by your love of family, your ideals of peace and forgiveness, and your desire to make your mother and father proud. I also believe that you've never had the chance to prove this power exists with those three always beating you to the punch," he pushed his draft towards Mirajane, who filled it with a soft smile on her face.

Lucy smiled, "So what you're saying is that they are stealing my thunder."

"Exactly."

She turned in her seat to face the bar once more. "Still. Even if I can never unlock my true potential… it's a warm feeling, having their strength always surrounding me." She twirled a lock of blonde hair absently, "It's like a constant hug. I feel safe inside it, knowing they'd lay down their lives to protect me, and that I would do the same for them."

"Sounds like you've figured it all out," Mirajane said sweetly.

"Yeah…" her cheeks reddened. "I think I have."

##

"Natsu, you need to be more aware of Lucy's feelings," Erza nodded sternly. "She had an idea, and she had the chance to fulfill that idea and be the hero for once, and you ruined it for her. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Yeah, man," Gray said. "It's all your fault he got away after all. She probably would've caught the guy if you didn't go off."

"It's not my fault!" Natsu argued. He crossed his arms and looked away. "She was getting all close and friendly to him, sittin' on his lap and all, and I just…" he pouted. "Even I could see from my hiding spot that she was terrified out of her wits. And when I saw her start to panic a little… well I didn't like that look on her. That's all there is to it."

Erza and Gray exchanged a look. They grinned sneakily.

"Lucy's my friend," Natsu continued. "And what kind of friend would I be if I just let her look that scared?"

"Seems like you love her very much," Erza said casually.

"Of course I do!" he jerked his head to her. "C-Cause she's my friend! Duh! You know you would've felt the same way!" he looked at the laughing Gray. "And you too! Wouldn't you?"

Erza nodded slowly, "It's true. I probably wouldn't have let Lucy even get to the guy's lap before I beat the heathen to a pulp."

"Yeah, Natsu," Gray said. "I never would've let her take such a risk. Lucy shouldn't have to risk her body just to get some perp. You should've been a little more responsible."

"Shut up!" he jumped to his feet. "You guys are idiots! I protected her just fine so you can just eat my ashes!"

He whirled around at the same time Lucy turned on her stool.

"Lucy!"

"Natsu!"

They each paused as slow smiles crept over their faces. Again, they said simultaneously,

"Sorry!"

Lucy jumped off of her stool and Natsu stepped over his bench.

"I shouldn't have gotten mad at you for the guy getting away."

"I shouldn't have screwed up your plan."

They met in the center of the guild hall and made a straight line for the quest board.

"Can we go on a non-combat related job this time?" Lucy asked as they stood together to browse the single loose sheets of paper hanging on the cork board.

"Whatever you want, Lucy," Natsu said, arms crossed over his chest. "Maybe we can work in Yajima's restaurant again."

"You always eat all of the food before it gets to the customer!" Lucy laughed.

"Yeah, free meal! That's why I want to work there again!" He grinned mischievously down at her.

Mirajane watched Makarov smile over his draft discreetly.

"You did well, Master," she said, surprising a grunt out of him. "Your pep talks never fail."

"Shut up," he muttered, hiding his smile behind his glass.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_One week later…_

"You're here awfully early, Lucy," Lisanna joined her at the quest board.

"Good morning Lisanna," Lucy yawned, arms crossed over her chest. "Are you helping Mirajane again this morning?"

"That's right," Lisanna clasped her hands behind her back. "This morning we are making pancakes. Would you like some?"

"Sounds delicious," she looked back to the board. "But I really need to grab a job and run before Natsu comes around."

Lisanna cocked her head to the side, short white hair swaying softly at her neck, "You're doing a job without Natsu?"

Lucy tapped her finger on her bicep. "Yeah…"

Lisanna pursed her lips, "Well… I don't think I've ever seen Natsu at the guild hall before ten a.m. so I think you've got a good hour before he shows up. I could whip up some pancakes in the next ten minutes."

Lucy glanced at her. "You're not gonna ask why I'm going on a job without Natsu?"

She shrugged, smiling gently, "I can think of a few good reasons as to why you might want to go alone." She giggled, "Especially after he wrecked Yajima's restaurant chasing a cockroach the other day."

Lucy sighed, "I had to put half my pay towards fixing the place up. Now I'm short on rent." She reached out and pulled a job request off of the board. Lisanna eyed it in surprise. "But that's not it. I'm used to that. I just… want to figure something out."

"Well, don't worry. When Natsu shows up I'll cover for you." Lisanna turned back towards the kitchen. "Hang around for a little longer and I'll get those pancakes out to you!" she jogged off.

_"I believe you have incredible power inside you. Power fueled by your love of family, your ideals of peace and forgiveness, and your desire to make your mother and father proud. I also believe that you've never had the chance to prove this power exists with those three always beating you to the punch."_

"Alright, Master," Lucy clutched the job request tight in her fist. "Let's see if you're right."

##

The doors of the guild hall burst inwards and Natsu walked through, waving and shouting, "_GOOD MORNING LUCY!_"

"Who you talkin' to?" Cana slurred, leaning on her knees, a half empty draft in her right hand.

Natsu peered around the hall, nose twitching. "Isn't Lucy here? It smells like her…"

"Good morning, Natsu," Lisanna called, retrieving a stack of plates from the table Wakaba and Macao sat arguing.

"Hey Lisanna," he joined her. "Have you seen Lucy? I wanna go on another job today."

"Another one?" they walked to the counter. "Already?"

"Well," he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I did the math last night and it seems like because we had to pay Yajima back for the restaurant, Lucy is a little short on rent." He grinned, "So I was thinkin' we could earn the rest of it."

Lisanna hid her smile as she turned to pass the plates to her sister, who greeted them cheerfully.

"Anyway," Natsu leaned against the bar. "You haven't seen her?"

"Afraid not," she answered. "And I've been here all morning."

"Okay, I'll check at her apartment," Natsu jogged off, waving as he went.

##

Natsu jogged down the streets of Magnolia, singing joyfully, "Goin' on a joooob! Goin' on a jooob! Goin' on a job with my friend Lucy! Lucy! Lucy! Goin' on a joooob!"

"Natsu!" Happy flew from the rooftops and followed him on his path next to the canal.

"Heya Happy!" he saluted.

"Did you find Lucy, Natsu?" the cat asked.

"Huh?" Natsu cocked an eyebrow, slowing from his jog to a walk. "She wasn't at the guild."

"I checked her apartment. She wasn't there either," Happy landed on the cobbled stone next to his friend and his powdery white wings disappeared.

Natsu frowned, "Then where would she…" He turned his nose to the sky and sniffed. "Hold on…" he glanced around, sniffing. "I think I can smell her. Come on, Buddy, let's follow the trail!"

"Aye Sir!" Happy's wings reappeared and they took off down the street once more.

##

"Hey! Look! There she is!"

Lucy jerked her head up. Natsu and Happy ran across the platform to where she sat on a bench, bag on the ground next to her feet.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We were lookin' for you," Natsu dropped onto the bench beside her. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Uhm… I'm going on a job…"

"What?" Natsu straightened, eyebrows pulling low. "Without us?"

Happy hopped onto the bench on Lucy's other side, "Do you not like us anymore, Lucy?"

"That's not it…" she looked away. "It's just… I haven't saved enough for rent and…"

"Is that the problem?" Natsu laughed. "You don't need to worry about that! You can have the full share of pay. Me and Happy don't need any!"

"That's right," Happy said. "Natsu and I are more responsible with _our _money and are caught up on our bills."

"Well…" Lucy sighed. "That's not the only reason I'm going alone…"

"Are you still mad at Natsu for wrecking Yajima's restaurant?"

Natsu scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly.

"I'm not mad at anyone. It's just…" she bit her lip and closed her eyes. "Do you guys ever feel like maybe I don't belong with you?"

"_WHAT_?" Natsu and Happy exclaimed simultaneously.

"What are you saying, Lucy?" Happy put his paws on her arm, large eyes turning glossy. "You're not leaving us, are you?"

"Fairy Tail is your home!" Natsu added, hands balled up in a fist. "There's no way you can just leave it behind!"

"There's no way I'd leave Fairy Tail!" she rushed to say. "I meant… maybe I don't belong on your team. With you and Erza and Gray and Wendy…"

Natsu sat back, crossing his arms over his chest and Happy rubbed the moisture from his eyes.

"It's just…" Lucy stared down at her hands. "You're all so strong… I feel like I might be holding you back."

Natsu stared at her seriously as Happy argued.

"No way Lucy!" he said. "We need you on our team! You might be virtually useless when it comes to dangerous situations… I mean… even I can fly so I can get Natsu out of a pinch if need be… and you don't really have a skill like _that_ to offer… you usually just get kidnapped or summon up a spirit that ends up getting in the way… uhm… what was I talking about again?"

Lucy groaned, "Thanks, Happy."

"We're not going to let you leave the team," Natsu said suddenly. "You can try all you want, but we won't let you."

"Natsu—"

"It's useless," he turned forward and closed his eyes stubbornly. "You think you're not important but you're wrong. Without you, we wouldn't have a team. So you can just shut up about all this quittin' stuff. Me and Happy are comin' with you on this job and that's final."

Lucy smiled tenderly. "Okay. If I can't convince you otherwise. I'll let you come. _But_…" she drew his attention once more. She held up her finger and pointed at him sternly. "I have conditions that you have to abide by. Okay?"

He grinned, "Sure thing Lucy! Whatever you say!"

##

"Ughhhhhh…" Natsu's complexion had turned an unnaturally ashy color. He slumped over on the seat, arms twitching uselessly over the side. The train rumbled and increased speed as it left the mountain tunnel and plummeted down the tracks through the open prairies ahead.

"Sorry Natsu," Lucy leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs. "But this job is just too far to walk to."

"My insides want to be outsides…" Natsu mumbled darkly.

"Don't worry Natsu," Happy said from his spot next to Lucy. "It's only a three hour ride by train!"

The pathetic dragon slayer's groans intensified.

"Anyway Lucy…" Happy stared up at her. "What's this job we are going on?"

She fidgeted, "Well…" she pulled the job request from her bag and smoothed it out. "I guess there are some mages down near the border smuggling some illegal cursed items into Fiore and selling them to dark guilds. They've holed themselves up in a little town and have kind of taken over. The request is for someone to capture them all and turn them in to the magic council."

Happy blinked quietly at her for a few seconds. "Wow Lucy… that's a heavy job. It's a good thing Natsu convinced you to let him come. There's no _way _you'd be able to do that on your own."

Lucy's chin jutted out and she stared down at the paper in her hands. "Don't think so, huh?"

##

Lucy had to drag Natsu from the train. He had thankfully passed out in the first hour of the trip, but didn't wake up when Lucy and Happy tried rousing him near the end of the ride.

"I guess I've gotten my payback," Lucy grunted as she hauled the unconscious man to a bench at the station. She placed him down as gently as she could and stepped back, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Whew! He's a lot heavier than he looks, isn't he?" she adjusted the belt holding the holster for her keys around her waist. "Anyway, I've got to get started on my job. Will you stay and watch over Natsu for me, Happy?"

"Wait," he stood on the bench next to his friend's head, "You're not going to take Natsu with you? I'm sure he'll wake up in a few minutes…"

"Well, see…" she tied her hair back. "That's the thing. My second condition. You and Natsu are not allowed to lift a finger on this job. It's mine and I'll finish it by myself."

She turned and jogged off, calling over her shoulder, "Make sure Natsu understands that when he wakes up, okay? You can look, but don't touch!"

Happy stood at Natsu's head and pushed at his pink hair, "Wake up Natsu…" he murmured. "Lucy's going nuts over here…"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I'd rather use a pendant or charm than a cream," the man in the long purple cloak said as he walked side by side another man down the alleyway.

"Someone can easily see a charm or pendant though," the other man said. "A cream will blend in to the skin and also meld into the bloodstream. They won't be able to end the curse until—"

"Game over."

The men didn't hear the whisper before the whip wrapped tight around their middles, drawing them in tightly. Their foreheads slammed together and consciousness fled the both of them.

Lucy unraveled her whip from around the men from her spot on the roof of a building on the right side of the alley.

"Virgo," she said. "Make sure they won't be going anywhere."

"Yes Princess," Virgo leapt down from the rooftop next to her. She quickly tied both men together, noses touching, and then burrowed a skinny hole to dump them in.

"It's going well so far," Loke observed from Lucy's left shoulder. "That's eleven down. And according to Virgo, there's only twenty-seven in town."

"Twenty-seven mages," she corrected. "There's still their lackeys to think about too."

"Don't fret a second about them," Loke rested a hand on her shoulder. "I'll go through a thousand nobody's to protect your body, my lovely Lucy."

Lucy ignored his come on and moved quietly across the rooftop, "Eventually they're going to find out I'm around. It's when they're on their guard and looking for me that I'll need to be careful."

"You've been training hard with Capricorn," Loke followed her. "I'm sure that even with the full force of the remaining sixteen centered on you, you will be able to strike each and every one of them down."

Lucy paused, "Only one problem."

"What's that?"

"Lucy!"

Loke stared in the direction of the shout, "Well, look who finally woke up from his little nap."

Happy flew Natsu over the rooftops and dropped him just ten meters from Lucy and her celestial spirit.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" he asked, brows furrowed in confused anger.

"Natsu," Lucy held out a hand to stop him. "Did Happy tell you my condition?"

"I thought it would be best if you explained it to him," Happy said, landing on the clay roof beside her.

"It's not cool for you to just dump me off in the train station and leave!" Natsu shook his fists above his head. "Gah I need to bash some bad guy's head in!"

"No," Lucy said. "This is my second condition, Natsu. I've decided that you can't fight. I want to complete this job on my own."

"_What_?" His mouth dropped open.

"That's right," she crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. "That's my condition. I've already taken out eleven of the mages with no problem. You better leave the last sixteen alone."

"That's not fair!" he whined. "I wanted to kick someone's ass!"

"Sorry," Lucy clasped her hands together, "Please will you stay back though?"

He grumbled and then said, "Sure. Whatever."

"Promise?"

"Yeah. C'mon, Happy. Let's find a good place to watch."

"Aye Sir!" Happy grasped the nape of his jacket and flew him from the rooftop.

##

"Fourteen down," Lucy rolled the unconscious, tied up man into the narrow hole Virgo dug.

"Well done Princess," Virgo said. "You have executed this mission quite gracefully. You are almost done and the architecture of the town is still intact. A record."

"Thanks, I guess?" Lucy smiled. "I'm really proud, actually. Even though I've had you and Loke here together this whole time, I barely feel any exhaustion. Master was right. I really am strong. I just needed a chance to prove it."

"Indeed, Princess." Virgo stared at her with her lifeless blue eyes for long seconds before a familiar expression crossed her face. She opened her mouth but Lucy turned away.

"I'm not going to punish you."

"Hey! Who are you?" a voice shouted down the alley. Six men stood at the entrance. Three with bows in their hands. The others with spears.

"Lucy!" Loke leapt down from the roof to land heavily in front of her. He wound his arms up and an intense light burst from his palms. "_Regulus Impact!_" The light rocketed down the alley and plowed through the men, sending them soaring.

"Crap!" the light disappeared and Loke took a step back. "I didn't realize it would be that powerful! Lucy, you trained too hard!"

Lucy rubbed the back of her head, smiling sheepishly, "Are you scolding my growth in strength?"

"What was that?" a voice echoed down the alley. "There's someone here! Quick, get everyone!"

"Uh oh," Lucy pulled her whip from her belt. "It's about to get serious. Virgo, go back," she waved a key.

"As you wish, Princess," the pink haired maid faded away.

"Loke," Lucy looked at the red-haired man. "They'll no doubt warn the mages that I'm here. I have to go after them before they disappear."

"Understood," his hands glowed, "I'll take care of these grunts."

"Thank you," she unfurled her whip and sent it flying up to the gutter of the nearest building. It hooked and she shortened the length, grappling to the rooftops once more.

"Be careful," Loke muttered as men swarmed the alley.

##

"Where are the others?"

"Nowhere to be found, sir. They must've already been captured by the enemy."

"Shit," the mage rubbed his eyes, his many rings glittering in the pale light of the city hall. "How many are there?"

"An unknown number, sir. But I watched six of our best soldiers go flying with a single blow."

"A strategic withdrawal would be our best plan of action then," he nibbled his thumbnail. "Grab as many goods as you can and meet at the docks." He gestured at his followers, "Come! We must leave the city immediately!"

They remaining thirteen mages rushed to the door and pushed into the courtyard beyond.

"Stop!" the leader held up a hand and the others slid on their heels. He peered across the courtyard, a chuckle rumbling up out of his chest. "That's it?"

Lucy stood in the center of the courtyard, whip in hand.

"One measly little girl?" The mage walked down the stairs, his followers close behind. "And here I was panicking for no reason."

"Are you the curse smuggler Sephori?" Lucy called, pointing at him accusingly.

"That I am," he crossed his arms over his chest. "What is it to you?"

"I'm here to take you in!" she unfurled her whip with a strong flick of her wrist. "Come quietly and I'll spare you from unspeakable pain!"

His laughs cut the air harshly. The others followed suit, filling the courtyard with swelling, boisterous laughter.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sephori wiped his eyes. "You think you can take me on? Seriously? What are you going to do? Smack me around with that little whip of yours? Unlucky for you, I'm actually pretty in to that sado-masochism thing. I eagerly await your attack, Sweetheart."

Lucy gritted her teeth, "You shouldn't underestimate me just because I look weak."

"Hey Seph," one of the smuggler leader's followers passed him down the steps, "Let me get rid of this trash for you."

"Go ahead," Sephori waved his hand nonchalantly. "It'll make a nice show."

"Let me in on it too!" another man joined the first.

"Me too!"

Lucy sighed, "Okay then. It's your funeral." Her brown eyes glinted as she brought the whip up and then sent it soaring to the nearest man. He barely had the chance to squeak before it wrapped tight around his throat and tossed him easily across the courtyard. He screamed and slammed into the wall of one of the small businesses standing dormant around the town square.

"Damn!" one of the other mages exclaimed. "Maybe she is a little tougher than we thought…"

"Nonsense," Sephori scoffed. "Attack her all at once. She'll be powerless!"

Another mage joined the two in the courtyard. They grinned and charged, magic bursting from their palms.

"I said not to underestimate me!" Lucy spun, the whip slashing each man across the face, leaving weeping welts on their cheeks.

"Augh!"

They continued on. Smoke seeped out of one man's hands, filling the air and blinding Lucy of their whereabouts.

"Child's play," Lucy waved a key. "Take them out, Scorpio!"

"Alright!" Scorpio stood in front of Lucy and lifted his giant tail. "Sand Buster!" a tornado of sand erupted from his tail and pierced the veil of smoke.

Two cries sounded and the smoke cloud dissipated. Lucy took one look at the two bodies on the ground before sending Scorpio back and waving another key.

"Cancer!"

"Yeah Ebi!" the spirit leapt behind her back, scissors snapping away, deflecting the third man's secret attack with his conjured spear. Cancer kicked the spear away and sliced with his scissors. The man's clothes disappeared and he screamed. Lucy sent Cancer away and wrapped her whip around the mage's middle, yanking him down where he slammed his forehead on the hard cobblestones of the courtyard.

She whirled around to the remaining mages. "Who's next?"

Sephori growled and stood, "Enough of this playing. Let me get rid of this nuisance."

Lucy was suddenly sent flying. She shrieked as she soared backwards and then slammed her back against the ground, bruising her muscles and scraping the skin behind her shoulders.

"Ah," she sat up, blinking in confusion.

Sephori laughed gleefully. "Oh you didn't realize? My magic is force! Try getting close enough to attack me now!" His voice alone sent her sliding even farther across the courtyard.

"Jeese," Lucy rolled onto her stomach and pushed up onto her knees. "What's with that?" She waved a key. "But it's okay if I can't get close. I'll just stay over here."

A man dressed in a horse suit appeared. He saluted with his bow, "Moshimoshi! At your service!"

"Sagittarius," Lucy pointed at Sephori. "Take him out!"

"Here I go!" he notched an arrow and pulled back. He loosed the bullet and it soared straight and true for Sephori's chest.

"Didn't you listen?" his voice bombarded her again, sending the arrow off its course to land uselessly several meters away. "You can't fight my force!"

"Sorry milady!" Sagittarius said as she sent him back.

"I guess I need to bring out the big guns early then," Lucy stood shakily. Her knees were cut and bleeding, dripping down into her brown boots.

"Gemini!" she waved the key.

"Piri-piri!" the twin spirits flew around her head.

"I grow tired of your circus act," Sephori waved at his lackeys. "Just rush her, throwing all you've got at the stupid bimbo."

"Gemini," Lucy turned to her spirit. "You know what to do."

"Piri-piri!" Gemini morphed until another Lucy stood at her side, dressed only in a bath towel.

Lucy groaned, "We gotta get you another outfit."

"We like this outfit!" the imitation Lucy spun gleefully.

"Alright," Lucy took her twin's hands. "Let's do this. Urano Metria round two!"

Sephori raised his hand. "Hit her from a distance! I don't trust that stance…"

Lucy and Gemini stepped close and started their chant.

"_Survey the Heavens, _

_"Open the heavens…_"

"Morin," Sephori pointed to one of his followers. "Attack."

"On it," the mage stepped forward and lifted his hands to the sky. "_Paper hail_!"

A magic circle appeared over Lucy and Gemini and small white birds made from paper dropped. The birds darted at the two Lucys chanting with hands clasped. Blood dripped from the sharp cuts they left on their skin. Lucy winced from the blows but kept up the chant.

"_All the stars, far and wide…_

_"Show me thy appearance…_

_"With such shine."_

"Tarric, Bocken…" Sephori gestured at the others. "All ranged magic users, attack!"

A barrage of attacks bombarded them. An invisible blow caught Lucy in the stomach and she slammed to her knees, gasping for breath. She squeezed her eyes tighter as tiny pinpricks of green light pierced her skin, drawing angry red droplets of blood to the surface. She continued her chant.

"_Oh Tetrabiblos…_

_"I am the ruler of the stars…"_

A blow struck her on the back of the head and she nearly fell face first into the cobblestones but Gemini held her steady.

"_A-aspect become complete…_

_"Open thy malevolent gate."_

A paper bird swooped across her throat and blood spilled down her neck and over her collarbone. She sat gasping momentarily before Gemini prodded her forward in the chant.

"_O-oh 88 stars of the heaven…"_

"Finish her off," Sephori commanded with a wave of his hand. His lackeys lifted their hands to deal the final blow but no one could send out a single attack before flames engulfed them.

Natsu dropped from the sky, heels crushing small craters into the courtyard. "_Don't touch her!_" flames erupted from his mouth and swamped the mages.

"N-no!" Lucy opened her eyes, concentration breaking.

"Sorry Lucy," Gemini said and faded away.

"No! Gemini! Come back!" Lucy leaned on her palms and coughed up dark blood.

"I'm gonna make all you bastards pay!" Natsu darted through the wailing mages, flaming fists sending them flying in every direction across the courtyard.

"No…" tears welled up in Lucy's eyes and she squeezed them shut. "No… not again… I was so close. _So close…_"

"Lucy are you okay?" Happy flew down to her side worriedly. "You're bleeding all over…"

Natsu made quick work of the remaining mages, and a few of the surrounding buildings too. When the last of them was unconscious, he jogged back to Lucy and Happy's side.

"Lucy, you alright?" he knelt at her side and reached a hand out to her.

She pushed the hand away, "Go away!"

He sat back, blinking in confusion.

"You ruined it!" she screamed, tears streaming down her bloody cheeks. "I trained so hard and you ruined it!"

Natsu didn't reply. He sat silently, watching her sob into her hands.

"Lucy…" Happy's chin quivered. "We were just worried about you…"

Lucy shoved to her feet, swaying unsteadily for a second before turning and limping away. "I need to go call the council."

Natsu and Happy watched her go quietly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You're fighting with Lucy, _again_?" the words were out of Erza's mouth mere seconds after Natsu walked into the guild hall.

He glared at her, "And what makes you think that?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, "You're wearing your 'I'm miserable but am going to hide it with being annoyingly grumpy' face."

"That's stupid."

"See? There you go."

"Is Wendy around?"

"Here I am!" The blue haired girl stood from her place at the counter. She made her way over to him. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever, Natsu. Me and Carla just barely got done with our mission at the windmill. How are you doing?"

He grunted and glanced towards Erza, who still watched him intently.

"Can you do me a favor, Wendy?"

"Sure thing!"

He looked away from Erza and locked his eyes on the far wall. "Can you casually go 'check' on Lucy for me?"

"Huh?" Wendy cocked her head to the side.

"Well it's just she got kinda roughed up on our last mission and could use some treatment but she's kind of mad at me at the moment so I don't want her to know that I'm sending you over there…"

"Oh!" Wendy smiled wide. "Sure thing Natsu! I'll pretend like I just want to talk about my mission." She winked. "Leave it to me!" She rushed off.

"That's adorable."

Natsu glared at Mirajane across the counter.

"Isn't it?" Erza joined her. She sighed, "Even when the maiden wants nothing to do with him, the knight watches over her."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He sat at a stool.

"Tell us what happened, Natsu," Erza prodded.

"Nothin."

Lisanna walked up to the counter and passed her tray of dirty dishes to Mirajane. "Hey big sis, Macao told me to tell you that he's never seen a lovelier sight than you tonight."

Mirajane giggled. "He can compliment me all he wants, I'm not pouring him another drink. I made a promise to Romeo to watch his intake from now on."

Lisanna glanced at Natsu, "Hey Natsu." He didn't answer and she stared harder at him. "No way," she said. "You fought with Lucy _again_?"

"You're all crazy," he sat up and looked away grumpily. "There ain't nothin' wrong."

"Yes there is," she nodded. "You're wearing your 'I'm miserable but am going to hide it with being annoyingly grumpy' face."

"Nuh uh!"

"By the way," Mirajane said. "Where's Happy?"

Natsu grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest, hunching his shoulders. "He's takin' Lucy's side…"

The three women laughed.

"Shut up!" fire shot from his mouth as he shook his fists angrily.

* * *

><p>Wendy returned to the guild hall several hours later with Happy at her side. Natsu sat up from his depressed slouch when he saw her. Wendy made her way to the table he sat at with Erza, Gray, and Lisanna. She sat next to Lisanna across from Natsu and sighed. She rubbed her forehead tiredly.<p>

Natsu said nothing, but Erza, sitting at his side, noticed his anxiousness in the way he fidgeted on the bench.

"She's okay," Wendy finally said. "She's mostly just exhausted from all of the magic power she used. I healed most of the cuts and bruises she had. More than anything…" she glanced at Natsu and then away. "She seemed really upset."

"Lucy was crying a lot," Happy sat on the table. He glared at Natsu, "Because someone broke his promise."

"You were the one who was blubbering like a baby when she started gettin' hit by those paper things!" Natsu argued.

"I just don't like to see my friend get hurt is all!" Happy said loudly.

"_You think it's easier for me_?" Natsu's voice echoed through the guild hall. He looked away. "'Cause it's _not_. That's why I jumped in. I hated seein' her whaled on like that." His golden eyes darted down. "And yeah… sure. Maybe I did ruin it. I don't blame her for bein' mad at me for that," he slumped down on his arms on the table, glaring at the wood. "But at least she ain't hurtin' anymore."

Everyone fell silent for long seconds before Gray said, "So wait… you know what you did wrong?"

"Of course I do."

"And you admit that you shouldn't have done it?"

"Sure."

"Then what the hell are sitting here moping for?"

Natsu glared at him.

Gray rolled his eyes, "C'mon, Natsu. This is _Lucy _we're talking about. No matter what you do, the second you apologize, you know she'll forgive you."

"That's true," Wendy said. "While she did seem upset about what happened on your job, she seemed more worried about her fight with you." Natsu sat up slowly. "She kept saying things about how she was hoping things would go back to normal soon. But then…" Wendy looked down. "She would get a really sad expression and whisper that they probably never would." She looked back up at Natsu. "I don't know what she meant. But she seemed a little… broken, somehow." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "I don't know if that makes any sense. But that's just how it seemed to me."

"Natsu," Lisanna drew his attention. "Go make up with Lucy. Can't you see your fight is hurting her more than it's hurting you?"

Erza nodded, "A real man would take responsibility."

"I agree with that," Gray pointed at Erza.

"DID SOMEONE SAY REAL MAN OVER THERE?"

"Shut up Elfman," Gray tossed a goblet across the guild hall.

Natsu stood without a word and left.

"You're not going with him, Happy?" Wendy asked.

He shook his head, "We all know Natsu hates apologizing with an audience."

* * *

><p>Lucy's quill hovered over the paper. The words 'Dear Mom' were the only marks written.<p>

"Dear Mom," Lucy whispered. She set the quill down and covered her face with her hands.

"Ooo," Plue patted her arm with his paw.

"This is harder than I thought, Plue," Lucy's voice was soft. "In the past… all my letters to my mother were happy or hopeful. But how do I even _begin _to explain that her daughter is just so... lost?" Moisture stung her eyes and she clenched her teeth. After long seconds, she pulled her hands away and lifted her quill once more.

"Dear Mom," she murmured, putting ink to paper. "Today I fought with Natsu." She rubbed the tears from her eyes, "I really hope we make up soon…"

_Tap tap tap_

Lucy shrieked and nearly fell backwards in her chair. She looked up out of the window. The flame from his palm lit up his pink hair just enough to be seen in the darkness outside.

Lucy sighed and set Plue on her bed. She leaned over her desk and unlocked the window. Natsu pushed through and dropped into the room, snuffing out the flame in his hand. Lucy closed and locked the window behind him.

Natsu glanced down at the paper on Lucy's desk. She covered it with her hand as she turned towards him, cheeks flaring red.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I just decided that I'd tell you," he sank onto the couch against the wall. "On our next job, maybe I can at least protect you from attacks while you charge up your big move."

Lucy gulped.

"'Cause this whole… just watching from the sidelines thing?" he shook his head. "It's not fun! In fact it's really boring. I think—"

"This is why I wanted to go alone!" she leaned against the desk, locking her eyes on the wall. "I'm sorry it was so boring for you, but I _tried _to go by myself and you forced me to let you come."

"I didn't—" Natsu crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Plue, who was shaking his arms in a comical dance. "Well I wanted to go on a job with you. And I guess I didn't really think about what you wanted all that much because of that. So that's my bad."

She glanced at him.

"And I guess it was kind of rude of me to not let you finish your celestial star falling move, or whatever you call it. I know you probably wanted a revenge match after what happened in the Grand Magic games… and I ruined that for you so that's also my bad."

A slow smile curled over her lips.

"_But…_ if you really want to know… it's 'cause I just don't like to see my friends get hurt. And that's why I did it."

"You mean it wasn't because you were bored?" she grinned.

"Well that too."

They smiled at each other for long seconds.

"Anyway…" Natsu finally glanced away. "Your rent isn't due for another two weeks right?"

"That's right."

"So I was thinking, maybe we can take a break from the jobs for a few days. Me and Happy were thinkin' about going fishin' tomorrow. You should come," he rubbed the back of his head. "Since you know… you got kinda hurt this time… and you used a whole lot of magic and are probably pretty pooped huh? So it'd probably be good to relax for a bit right?"

Lucy pursed her lips, "You know what? That sounds nice. It's been a long time since I've gone fishing with you two."

"Alright!" Natsu jumped to his feet, wide grin firmly in place on his bright face. "Then I'll see you at dawn!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Hold up, Natsu," Happy untied his knapsack on the table. "I gotta make room in my bag for all the fish we're gonna catch!"

Natsu watched as he turned the bag upside down and a pile of silver fished slipped out.

"Whoa, little buddy. Where'd you get all of those?"

"On that job," he said proudly, shaking the sack and letting loose another wave of slimy fish. "While the military was rounding up all the mages, I was stealing the fish from their base!"

"Nice!" Natsu grinned. "We're gonna be drowning in fish after today!" he turned and headed for the door. "I'll wait outside. Hurry it up!"

"Okay, okay. Almost done," Happy shook the bag one more time and the last of his loot tumbled out. "There," he said. "All gone— hmm?" something pink buried in the pile of fish caught his attention. "What's this?" he set the sack down and pawed through the loot. He lifted a small round jar. "Huh?" he furrowed his brow. "I don't remember picking this up…" he turned it over in his paws. There was a label glued around the middle with dark black writing. He read it slowly, "Magic Cream… guaranteed to make—"

"Happy!" Natsu's voice broke his concentration. "Come on! Or else I'm gonna go wake up Lucy without you!"

"Ah," Happy placed the jar on the window sill next to the table and grabbed his knapsack. "I'm coming! I'm coming, wait up!" he tied the sack around his neck and ran from the house.

"Eeeee! I got another one! Look! Look Natsu!" Lucy yanked on her fishing pole excitedly.

Natsu rested his chin in his palm, "Yeah… yippee for you…"

"Pull it in, Lucy!" Happy flew erratically around her head. "Hurry before it escapes like Natsu's last five!"

Lucy backed across the beach, tugging at her pole. "Come on, come on, come on," she chanted, brown eyes wide. "Okay, here I go…" she gave a mighty heave of the pole and the fish erupted from the water, writhing in midair as it soared in Lucy's direction… and slapped her straight across the face.

Natsu fell over laughing.

"YEUGH!" Lucy dropped the pole and swiped at her tongue. "Oh, ew!" she pranced over the sand. "My mouth was open!"

Happy caught the fish and held it close to his chest, drool dripping down his chin.

Natsu rolled around, roaring laughter.

"Oh shut up!" Lucy calmed and used the hem of her shirt to wipe at the slimy water on her cheek.

Natsu rolled onto his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows, wiping at the tears streaming down his cheeks with his left hand. "Oh man… that made my day. Now I feel better about not catching a single fish."

"Jeese," Lucy muttered. "Now my shirt smells." Her eyes lit up, "Good thing I had the foresight to pack an extra!" she skipped to the wicker basket she had prepared that morning with sandwiches and juice bottles. She reached inside and fished around for the spare set of clothes she had packed. She held the clothes in her lap and sighed, "Why is it so pathetic that I have to prepare things like this just to go on a simple fishing trip with you two?"

Natsu cocked his head to the side.

Lucy stood, "Well, I'm gonna go change real fast. _Don't peek_."

She gave him a stern stare before turning and disappearing into the trees.

Natsu's eyes wandered slowly across the tree line. Something… smelled weird.

"What's wrong Natsu?" Happy asked, watching his friend turn his nose to the sky and sniff.

"I smell something familiar," he said, climbing to his knees. He rocked into a crouch, turning his nose left and right, eyes darting each direction.

"What is it?" Happy mumbled as he munched on the fish that had bitch slapped Lucy not five minutes ago.

"Dunno…" he stood slowly, ambling towards the tree line. "I can't remember exactly. But… I don't like it."

Natsu stared into the woods quietly, nose locking on to the direction of the scent.

"Are you sure it's not just Lucy?" Happy joined him.

"It isn't Lucy."

"But that's the way Lucy went to go change."

Natsu's eyes flashed and he bounded into the woods.

"Wait! Natsu!" Happy held a paw out after him. He hesitated before dropping it and turning back to the lake. "Lucy's gonna kill him…"

* * *

><p>Lucy hummed as she unzipped her skirt. It hadn't gotten dirty from her altercation with the fish earlier, but she decided the jean shorts she had packed in reserve were probably a better choice for fishing anyway. She pushed the skirt down and kicked it away. She unfolded the shorts and gave them a shake. A chill crawled up her thighs and she hesitated.<p>

She felt creepy. She glanced over her shoulder and peered through the trees. Were those eyes she felt crawling over her skin?

"Natsu, I swear," she called. "If you're peeping, I'm gonna bash your face in!"

There was no reply.

No… Natsu's peeping wouldn't feel this creepy. If it were Natsu peeping, Lucy's eye would start twitching and the sudden urge to strangle him with her whip would strike out of nowhere. It definitely wasn't Natsu peeping.

She quickly turned away again and shoved one leg into the shorts. She would get finished and return to the beach as soon as possible. She stumbled a little when her second foot caught on the waistband of the shorts. She hopped, chirping in surprise, before pressing her back against a tree and steadying herself to finish the job.

_Okay. Now the shirt._ She rushed to grab the orange tank top resting on the fallen tree where she had placed it. She lifted it and then dropped it again. _First remove this one_, she pulled the hem of the shirt she was wearing up. Jeese. Her anxiousness was getting everything all out of order.

Her shirt was halfway over her head when she heard the crackle of a twig to her left. She whirled, letting out a small shriek. Blinded by the fabric of the shirt around her face, she bumped the fallen tree and plummeted to the forest floor. She writhed, moaning in fear and panic, and managed to wiggle the shirt away from her eyes.

_My keys!_ She sat up and reached for her hip… but they weren't there. She paused. _Shit_. She had left them at the beach with the basket. She glanced around, looking for the source of the creeping feeling, but there was nothing suspicious in sight.

_Hurry, hurry_, she grabbed the tank top, fingers shaking, fumbling with the thin fabric.

Another snap to her right this time. She screamed and jumped to her feet.

"_Who's there_?" she shouted, voice quivering. "You better get out of here or I'll smack you around!" she backed slowly away from the direction of the sound. "I'm not kidding! This isn't funny at all!" She clutched the shirt to her chest, "S-seriously… go away…"

_Snap, snap._

She gulped.

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

"N—" She squeezed her eyes shut. "Natsu…"

_Thump_

_Thump_

_Thump_

"Lucy!"

Lucy's eyes popped open. Natsu burst out of the trees from her left and immediately placed himself between her and the sound of the thumps that had stopped at his arrival. His brows pulled low and fire engulfed his hands.

"Come out here and fight me!" he growled.

Lucy breathed a great sigh of relief. "Natsu…"

"I said come out!" he shouted. "Or else I'll drag you out!"

They waited long seconds, but nothing happened.

Natsu straightened and the fire disappeared from his hands. "He's gone."

"How do you know?" Lucy peeked over his shoulder.

"I don't smell him anymore," Natsu turned his nose up and sniffed. "It just vanished."

Lucy sighed again, slouching, arms falling to her sides once more. "Thank goodness. That creeped me out so bad!"

Natsu turned to her, "I think you're safe now. But we should probably head back to the beach, in case he comes back. There he'll have less places to hide." He grinned and punched his palm excitedly.

"I'd rather not run into him again," she said. "Whoever it was…"

Natsu fell silent.

Lucy looked up at him. "What's wrong? You look really serious all of a sudden."

She cocked her head to the side and then followed his gaze down… to her exposed bra.

Lucy's eye twitched and she delivered a swift kick to Natsu's chin, sending him flying to his back. "Quit staring you pervert!"

She quickly pulled the tank top on and gathered up her discarded clothes. "I _swear_," she slipped her sandals on and stomped off towards the beach once more.

Natsu lay on his back, staring into the trees behind him. He sniffed, eyes narrowing to slits at the hint of a weird smell in the soft breeze. Before he could climb to his feet however, it disappeared again.

* * *

><p>"<em>Letters from the rain. Of words that never came<em>," Lucy sang softly as she tugged the string gently through the still water. "_I only see the stars in your eyes…_"

"What song is that, Lucy?" Happy asked.

"Hm?" she glanced at him.

"You were just singing a song," he said. "And you were humming it earlier too."

Her cheeks flared red. "O-oh! I was? Don't mind me! I was just thinking and I guess I zoned out there for a second and yeah… ha ha ha…" she laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

"What're you embarrassed about?" Natsu asked dejectedly. He was still pouting about the sixth and seventh fishes that had just escaped his grasp.

"Will you sing it for us?" Happy said.

"N-no. Sorry," she cleared her throat and looked away.

"Why not?"

She bit her lip. "Well… it's just… that song is one that my mother used to sing to me when I was younger. It's really close to my heart. It's the only song I even know the words to. And…" she paused, cheeks reddening again. "It's stupid… but I just have this feeling… that I want to keep it between just me and Mom. It was our special song. She sang it to me when she was tucking me in at night, and it was always just the two of us at that time. Whenever I think of her, the sound of her voice singing those words fills my mind. When I sing it softly to myself… I see her face…" she smiled gently. "I know it doesn't make sense… but I almost feel reluctant to share it with anybody else, you know? I don't want to share _her_ with anybody else."

She laughed sheepishly, "I know, it's stupid and selfish huh?"

"Nah," Natsu peered at the lake, "I get it. It's like this," he touched his scarf. "This is my connection to Igneel. It's my most prized possession." He glanced down at the white fabric tied loosely around his neck. "If someone took it from me, I'd probably lose my mind."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"How's it going?" Natsu shouted as he pushed into the guild hall.

"Welcome back!" Mirajane answered, balancing a tray on her right palm. "How was your fishing trip?"

Lucy and Happy followed Natsu through the doorway. "Mira!" Lucy smiled. "I caught a lot of fish!"

"How many did you catch?" Gray asked, standing shirtless next to the quest board.

"Twelve!"

"Impressive," Erza said with a serious nod. She took a drink of her glass, "As expected of our Lucy."

"How many did Natsu catch?" Gray pressed, walking towards the pink haired guy avoiding everyone's gaze as he glared at the floor.

"Zero!" Happy said, climbing onto the table at which Wendy and Carla sat. "Natsu didn't catch a single fish all day! It was disappointing."

Gray laughed.

"Shuddup!" Natsu stomped across the hall to the ice mage. "I didn't catch any because they could sense how dangerous I was! That's all!" He and Gray fell immediately into battle, taking out a few tables and chairs along the way.

Lucy chuckled sheepishly and joined Erza at the counter, "I was surprised, actually. I had never caught more than five fish at one trip before. They were practically leaping onto my line."

Across the hall, Happy offered a fish to Carla, "Here Carla, I caught one for you!"

The white cat absently took the fish from his paws, eyes locked on Lucy as she and Erza laughed.

"Is there something wrong?" Wendy wondered, noticing her friend's wide gaze.

"It's… it's nothing…"

"Carla, did you have another vision?" Happy asked.

Carla tore her eyes from Lucy.

Wendy leaned close, "Eh? Did you?"

"Like I said," she said, setting the fish down on the table and straightening her skirt, "It's nothing."

"Carla!" Wendy grabbed her arm, "When has one of your visions _ever _just been _nothing_?"

"Well…" she looked down. "I hate to dampen a good mood… and after Lucy is finally smiling normally again…"

"It's about Lucy?" Happy looked over his shoulder worriedly.

"If you see something," Wendy said. "You should tell everyone. That way, we can prepare."

"I know…" Carla sighed. "Alright. We should gather the others then."

* * *

><p>"What's going on?" Lucy sat down next to Erza at the table Happy had ushered them to.<p>

"Are we all gonna go on a job or something?" Natsu asked from his place across the table next to Wendy.

"I thought you said we could relax for a few days," Lucy whined. "I'm still tired!"

"It's not that," Wendy said, scratching her cheek. "It's just… Carla had a vision. And we thought it'd be best to share it with the entire team."

"Then why are Gajeel and Levy here?" Natsu pointed to the two at the end of the table. "And Lisanna and Elfman?" he pointed to the opposite end.

"A real man wants to help his friends whether they're on the same team or not!" Elfman announced, meaty arms crossed over his expansive chest.

"I'm only here because Lily wanted to hear," Gajeel grumbled, gesturing at the black cat next to Happy.

Levy laughed nervously, "And I'm here because…" her cheeks flared red, "Well just because."

"Anyway," Lisanna said. "Let's hear about Carla's vision."

Everyone turned their attention to the cat as she rubbed her paws together. "Well… like I said before… my visions aren't at all straightforward. They come in flashes of scenes that I don't understand. But… this morning, I saw…"

Everyone leaned in.

She cleared her throat. "I saw Lucy in her apartment. Natsu was there and they were… fighting. I saw Lucy yelling at him and she was crying… and Natsu looked angry…"

Natsu straightened from his slouch, eyes darting across the table to Lucy, who watched Carla closely.

"And then I saw… a burning room… and… Lucy…" Carla closed her eyes.

"What is it?" Wendy asked softly when she didn't continue.

Carla took a deep breath and let the words out in a massive stream, "I saw Lucy with rope tied around her hands behind her back as she lay naked on the floor covered in injuries. Then I saw Loke shouting from inside a glass cage and then… and then…" she glanced up at Natsu and then away. "And Natsu… I saw him engulfed in flames in his dragon force, with tears streaming down his face…"

The table was silent for long uncomfortable seconds. Eyes turned towards Lucy and Natsu. Erza leaned on her elbows on the table and pressed her clasped hands to her lips.

Finally, Lucy let out an uncomfortable laugh and waved her hand, "What? That's… surely that's impossible."

No one replied.

"I mean…" she continued, "That sounds really… bad, right? Like… really serious…" she looked at Erza, and then to Gray.

"Is there any way to prevent it from happening?" Wendy asked softly, looking to Levy. "Is… is it set in stone? Or can we change it?"

"Ah…" Levy scratched the back of her head. "To be honest, I don't really know much about this." She rubbed her chin. "But… thinking back to the magic games… we have a little better understanding on the flow of time… hmm…"

"We _can_ change the future," Erza said, lowering her hands from her face. "We have in the past. Thanks to future Lucy, we prevented the dragons from killing everybody. It was because we knew about the events that we were able to change them. Carla," she looked to the cat. "This will be a huge help. If you see anything else, please be sure to let everyone know."

"Y-yes…" She looked down.

"So…" Lisanna looked up at Elfman and then to Lucy. "So what should we do?"

"We will all keep an eye on Lucy," Erza said. "We can take it in shifts. We will inform Master of this development and he can give more ideas on what we can do. Also…" she looked to Natsu. The solemn dragon slayer had said nothing the entire time. His hands were clenched tight into fists and his eyes were locked on the wall beyond Gray's shoulder. "Natsu," Erza drew his attention. "I think it's best if you keep your distance from Lucy for the time being."

"Wh-what?" Lucy glanced between them. "Isn't that going too far? What about when we want to go on a job…"

"The first event is your fight with Natsu," Erza said. "If we can prevent it from happening, then maybe we can prevent the following events. That means we need to keep you two either on good terms, or at a distance. And since we're talking _Natsu _here… I don't think it'll be possible to keep you from fighting."

Lucy stared down at the table.

"I don't think it'd be that hard…" she murmured. "And I don't really like the idea of…" she closed her mouth and stood. "I… I'm going to go home."

"I'll walk with you," Levy suggested. As she stood, Gajeel rose at her side. The three of them left the hall quietly.

"Understand, Natsu?" Erza said when they were gone.

He looked at her.

Her brows lowered, "Until we think of something to do about this, don't be alone with Lucy."

Natsu stood and clasped his hands behind his head, "Sure," he said and walked away.

* * *

><p>"Hey Lucy!" Lisanna entered the room. "It's my turn to stay with you."<p>

"Make yourself at home," Lucy faked a smile. "Would you like some tea or juice?"

"No thanks," she sat down on the couch. "Hey, sorry about this. I bet you're getting really tired of being babysat all the time, huh?"

"Of course not." She smiled wide and sat at her desk.

Lisanna laughed, "Wow, Wendy was right. You are getting worse at lying."

Lucy sighed, "Alright, I admit it, it is getting kind of annoying." She rubbed her temples, "I never get any alone time anymore. Everyone's always watching me like I'm going to just fall over dead right before their eyes." Her face fell and she stared down at the rug on her floor. "And what's worse… Natsu has been completely avoiding me. He hasn't even said a single word to me since Carla told us about the visions." She crossed her arms over the back of her chair and leaned her chin on them. "I know he's worried about triggering the first event, but… I wish he'd at least talk to me when there are other people around… But instead, whenever he sees me, he turns and runs the other direction. It's…" her voice lowered, "It's lonely."

Lisanna was silent for long seconds before she smiled softly and said, "I'm sure Natsu is doing everything he can to keep you safe, Lucy. We all are. And soon, I'm sure this will all blow over and everything will go back to normal."

"I hope so…" Lucy buried her face in her arms.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong, Happy?" Erza asked as the cat slumped up to her stool at the counter.<p>

He sighed and climbed onto the seat next to hers, "The team just isn't the same anymore…"

Erza smiled sadly and rubbed his head, "I know what you mean. By the way, where's Natsu?"

Mirajane offered Happy a fish and he took it exuberantly. "He's been sniffing around the woods on the outskirts of town."

"Why?" Erza cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, the other day when we were fishing with Lucy, Natsu said he smelled something weird. I think he maybe thinks it has something to do with Carla's visions. So he's been searching for anything suspicious."

Erza sighed, "That guy…" she shook her head but then a slow smile spread over her lips. "Well, I can't really blame him. I too want this ordeal to just be over and done with already."

"Me too," Happy mumbled. "I miss them both."

* * *

><p>Where had he smelled it before?<p>

Natsu climbed the tree, nose pressed close to the bark. It was such a familiar stench. A disgusting, creeping scent that made his insides twist and tighten. He didn't like it. And he liked it less when he thought of the possible connection it had with Lucy.

He sat on a thick branch high on the tree and peered over the forest spread out before him. He wasn't cut out for this sort of thing. Investigating and thinking. It wasn't his strong suit. He wished the problem would just present itself already. He'd light it on fire and send it packing before it could even lay a hand on Lucy. Then they could go back to the way they were before.

He lightly stroked the soft fabric of his scarf. He used to think it was his most prized possession. If he lost it, he'd lose his mind. It was his last connection to his father. The only gift he had left that Igneel's scent still somehow clung to. He dipped his chin inside the scarf and sniffed.

But… maybe that wasn't the case anymore. This scarf was important to him… but he had much more to lose now. His friends… the life he fought so hard to earn… they were his most prized possessions now. His guild, his new family, the laughter he had shared with each and every person he called his friends…

Natsu climbed to his feet, one hand on the trunk to steady his stance as he stared across the nighttime sky.

He'd lose his mind if he lost his connection to Igneel.

But he'd lose everything else if even one of his friends was taken from him.

And what good was a mind when everything else was gone?

Natsu jumped from the tree, abandoning his search for the night. He travelled back into town silently, following the canal running through the center of Magnolia until he was at her apartment. He quickly scaled the walls until he was outside her window. Inside, he could see her at her desk, face buried in her arms. He crouched low next to the window. He could tell by the steady rise and fall of her back that she had fallen asleep. Lisanna was passed out on the couch on the other side of the room.

Natsu moved to the side of the window, leaning his back on the wall next to it, and hunkered down for the night, just as he had done every night the past week and a half.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Look, Lucy… I know you might be frustrated and tired…" Gray backed up to the door of her apartment, hands held up defensively. "B-but maybe you should put the knife down."

"I can't stand it," Lucy said, advancing on the ice mage with warning in her brown eyes. "You people haven't let me have longer than ten minutes of time by myself for two weeks!"

"I know but…"

"Just go!" she waved the knife at him. "Go! I just want to be alone for once! Leave me alone for one stupid hour!"

"Okay! Okay!" Gray turned the handle of the door and pushed it open. "I guess it's fine… so long as Natsu isn't around. Just be careful okay?"

"_GO_."

Gray left, closing the door behind him.

Lucy slumped onto her bed, dropping the knife on the ground. She breathed out a sigh of relief, eyes turning glossy. She didn't want to have to resort to such crazy actions, but it was the only way she could think of getting rid of the stubborn guy.

She lay on her side, staring across the room at the door. How did everything turn so sour? She was exhausted. The moisture in her eyes gathered until fat tears were trailing down her right temple into the blanket on her bed. _I just want things to go back to normal_, she thought.

She rolled onto her back, draping one arm over her eyes. Why was everyone clinging so tight to her anyway? She was strong. She wasn't some weak little girl that couldn't defend herself. She didn't need a babysitter at all times. She didn't need a bodyguard. She bit her lip and clenched her hand into a fist.

"I'm strong," she whispered. "I'm strong. I'm strong…"

The latch on the window creaked. Lucy sat up hurriedly, hand going to her keys.

"Jeese, Lucy," Natsu stepped into the room and closed the window behind him. "Didn't Erza warn you about leaving your window unlocked?"

"Na—" Lucy's chin quivered and she leapt off of the bed. "Natsu!" she ran and threw herself into him.

"Wah!" Unprepared for the attack, Natsu slammed into the ground, leg catching on her desk chair and sending it clattering across the room.

Lucy immediately sat up, "Sorry!" she pushed away from him and sat on the rug, shoving tears from her cheeks.

"Jeese, you didn't have to tackle me," he sat up as well, rubbing the back of his head where it had collided with the hard floor.

"Sorry," she sniffed. "It's just… you've been avoiding me these past two weeks… I've missed you."

He stared at her as she wept into her hands. He smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Sorry about that," he said softly. "I didn't mean to avoid you. I was just… worried I'd cause trouble if we were together."

"Stupid," she pushed his hand away and straightened her hair. "It's fine so long as we don't argue, right?"

He watched her as she smoothed her hair down, turning her puffy eyes up in his direction. "Yeah," he agreed, mouth stretching wide in his bright grin. "Exactly." He rested his hands on his ankles and stared intently at her. "I'm not the reason you're cryin' am I?"

She looked away, "No. No, it's not your fault. I…" she sighed. "I'm just frustrated."

The room grew silent.

"I've been investigating," he finally said, glancing in the direction of the couch.

"Investigating?" she wiped her nose on the hem of her shirt.

"Hmhm," he leaned back on the heels of his hands. "Lookin' around for anything suspicious. I haven't found a single thing. So I was thinkin', maybe Carla's vision isn't gonna happen for a long time, ya know? How do we know it's soon? It could happen a whole year from now. So I figured… there's no point on me stayin' away all the time. Besides…" he frowned. "It's not as fun goin' on jobs without Lucy."

She smiled, "Really?"

He pouted his lips, eyes annoyed, "Naturally, you'd think doing things with your friends is more fun than alone, right?"

"Right, right," she giggled. "Still… it makes me happy to hear that from you."

"Hmph," he turned his head the opposite direction. A glint of silver caught his eye. Lying next to the bed was a knife. He reached over and picked it up, "Why's a knife just lying out here?"

She sighed and stood. She took the weapon from him and put it on her desk, "Gray was being stubborn, so I had to chase him out."

Natsu climbed to his feet and then leaned against the desk, arms crossed over his chest. He pouted again, "It's not fair. Gray gets to come over but I'm banned."

Lucy let out an exasperated sigh, "I know. I don't like it either. I wish… I wish everyone would just stop underestimating me!" She turned and paced the rug. "I'm not as weak as I once was! I'm stronger now. I can defend myself!" Angry tears welled up in her eyes once more. She whirled towards him and pressed her hand against her heart, "Why do these things always happen to _me_? Why am I always the one being targeted?" the tears slipped down her cheeks and she clenched her hands into fists. "It's because I've always fallen into these desperate situations in the past that everyone thinks they need to protect me. Father sending Phantom Lord after me… The Oración Seis using my celestial spirit magic… Arcadios kidnapping me for the Eclipse Project…"

Natsu's brow furrowed further and further at the memory of each battle.

"But that was _then_!" Lucy threw her arm out. "I'm strong now! I'm _strong_! And I don't want to be treated like a child anymore!"

Lucy stared into Natsu's furious expression and froze. Her heart stuttered in her chest and she took a step backwards. "Oh no…"

Natsu's anger faded slightly at the look of fear that suddenly crossed her teary-eyed face. "What's wrong?"

"Oh no," she said again, covering her mouth with her hands. "Natsu…"

"What?"

"Doesn't this look familiar to you?"

He cocked an eyebrow, "Should it?"

She swiped at the tears on her cheeks, "This is it! This is the first event that Carla predicted!"

"What? But—"

"Natsu… Carla said that the first event was the two of us fighting in my apartment. She said I was crying and you looked angry. That's exactly what just happened!"

"But we weren't fighting," he pointed out.

"No, but it _looked _like we were." She clasped the sides of her head in panic. "We triggered the event! What do we do? What do we _do_?"

"That…" he frowned. "No… that couldn't have been it. It was all wrong right? Because…" he paused.

Lucy reached for her boots, "We should go to the guild. With everyone else around… nothing bad should happen, right? We need to tell everyone that we messed up," her vision blurred. "We really messed up, Natsu."

"It's gonna be okay Lucy," Natsu said. "We'll be alri—" he choked on his words. Fear rocketed up from his stomach and cold sweat formed on his brow. His knees knocked together and he clutched his scarf with both hands, goosebumps rising on his skin. "Lu—" he looked to her. "Lucy!"

She was sprawled out on the floor, eyes wide as they gaped up at the ceiling. Her face was deathly pale and her whole body was shuddering.

"Lucy!" Natsu ran to her, but the fear turned his legs to pudding and he fell at her side. She immediately curled in to his body, wrapping her hands up in his jacket and pulling him tight against her.

She sobbed against his chest, "Natsu! I— I can't—"

He wrapped his arms around her head, terror taking hold of his. "What's happening…" He searched the room with his eyes but there was no one around. No one. Why…

Lucy screamed into his collar.

He could only hold her tighter, squeezing his eyes shut against the unbearable pain of fear.

"L-Lucy…" he forced the words out. "Lucy I'll protect you. It's okay… I'll—"

Everything went black.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Ngh," Natsu peeled his eyes open. At first, he saw nothing but white. He blinked and turned his head, distinguishing shapes. He pushed up on his elbows, pressing one hand to his forehead where the worst of the sharp migraine pounded. His gold eyes flicked over his surroundings.

He was lying on hard, cold metal sheeting. Straight ahead was a glass wall, the other side indiscernible by the glare of light inside his room.

"What the fuck?" Natsu sat up all the way, glancing down at himself. "Why am I naked?" he rolled to his knees, eyes moving around the room. The glass walls surrounded on four even sides. There was nothing else in the room but a twin sized bed on the far wall and…

"Lucy!" Natsu scrambled to his feet and ran to the bed. She was sprawled out on top of the covers, naked and unconscious. "Lucy!" he grabbed her face and turned it towards him. "Lucy, Lucy, Lucy…" he pushed her hair from her eyes and patted her cheek. "Hey, wake up, will ya? Wake up. Shit, please wake up…"

Her eyelids squeezed tight and her body twitched. A low moan came from her throat and her hand slowly reached up to her head.

Natsu let out a sigh of relief as she fluttered her eyes open, squinting up at him.

"N-Natsu?"

He released her and sat back on his heels, "Jeese. You scared me."

"What…" she sat up, clutching her head with a groan. "What happened? Where—" She noticed her nakedness and a blush travelled up her neck and cheeks. "Eeeeeek!" she punched Natsu in the face and he went flying backwards to the metal floor. "Don't look!" she shrieked. "Why am I naked?" she fumbled with the white sheet of the bed she lay upon until she was wrapped up like a caterpillar from her neck down. "What's going on?"

Natsu rubbed his cheek where she punched him and sat up again, "As if I know? I just woke up too."

Lucy stared at him with wide eyes for long seconds before she hurriedly turned away, "Why are you naked too?"

"I woke up like this! Just like you!"

Lucy gasped and started searching the bed frantically, "No!"

"What?"

"M-my keys!" Lucy slid onto the ground and peered under the bed. "My keys are gone!"

Natsu sat quietly, reaching up to his throat. He felt along his collarbone with a gulp. He leapt to his feet and stomped over to one of the walls. He slammed his fists against it. Hollow thumps echoed all around.

"_Hey_!" he yelled. "Hey! Let us out! Give Lucy her keys back! _GIVE ME MY SCARF_!"

The space outside of their room lit up and a lone figure stood just outside. Natsu froze, eyes travelling over the soft green eyes, the long silver hair, the black shirt opened halfway down his stomach, the black swooping lines decorating his chest.

Natsu's brows snapped down and his mouth twisted into a snarl, "_You_."

Azamin chuckled and approached the wall he stood behind. "We meet again."

Lucy gasped from her place by the bed, "It's him… the fear mage…"

Natsu remembered back to Lucy's apartment. "So that was you. You bastard. Let me out of here so I can kick your ass!"

Azamin smirked, "You won't be leaving that room alive, I'm afraid."

"_Bastard_!" his hand flamed and he cracked it into the wall.

The room flashed with flames. Lucy screamed and jumped from the scorching metal floor to the bed. Flames flowed over the walls and threatened to leap to the bed, but Natsu quickly snuffed out the fire in his hand and the rest disappeared.

"Careful," Azamin said, drawing Natsu's attention again. "That room has amplifying magic on it. Even just that weak attack will set the entire room ablaze. It's best to keep your magic at a minimum, unless you want to hurt your beautiful roommate, don't you think?"

"I'm going to _kill you_!" Natsu pounded on the wall. "Coward! Let me out and fight me fair and squ—"

Sudden fear consumed him and he collapsed to the floor, panting into the glass wall.

"Natsu!" Lucy leapt off of the bed and ran to him, hand knotted in the sheet at her chest.

"_Perfect_," Azamin hissed.

Two thin metal sheets of the floor in the middle of the room slid back and thick rope flew from the openings. It moved on its own accord as it shot across the room. Lucy screamed and jumped to the side, but it didn't follow. The ropes flew to Natsu and wrapped tight around his chest, locking his arms to his sides.

"What the hell?" he shouted as the ropes pulled taut and yanked, dragging him across to the floor to the center of the room. "Ngh!" he fought the ropes but they only tightened, cutting deep into the skin of his arms and chest.

"Natsu!" Lucy she tried to go to him, but suddenly the wall of the room morphed. The consistency of the glass liquefied, and Azamin pushed it aside easily. He stepped into the room and grabbed Lucy by the bicep.

"Let go!" she swatted at him.

He grabbed the fabric of the sheet and tore it away from her body. She shrieked and tried to pull away from his grasp.

"_Don't touch her!_" Natsu roared, writhing harder against the ropes. "_Bastard! I'll kill you!_"

Azamin laughed. Lucy suddenly stopped struggling. Her eyes grew wide and her legs shook. She covered her eyes with her free hand and panted. "Ah. Ah. Ah"

"_Stop!_" Natsu threw himself in their direction but the ropes pulled tight and he slammed face first into the floor.

"Don't worry," Azamin reached out and stroked her cheek. She flinched away, tears sliding down from her covered eyes. "It will be painless. Sort of."

"_Leave her alone_!" Natsu kicked at the floor. "_LEAVE HER ALONE!"_

Azamin pulled the quivering Lucy through the opening in the wall and then swished the liquefied wall back into place. It hardened once more.

"_GET BACK HERE! BASTARD! DON'T TOUCH HER! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"_ Now that Lucy was out of the room, he prepared his lungs. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

But no fire erupted from his mouth.

Natsu froze, "What the…"

Azamin laughed, "Those ropes… I should probably thank you two for giving them to me. It appears they work perfectly."

Natsu stared down at the ropes. "Nullification magic…"

"Sit tight right there for me," Azamin's green eyes flashed in excitement.

"_NO! COME BACK!_"

Azamin dragged Lucy from the room.

"_NO! NO! No, no, no, no!" _Natsu struggled harder until his breath was shallow and he was dripping sweat. The ropes had tightened to an unbearable level. He kneeled, panting. "No…" he stared down at his collarbone, where his scarf used to be. His body quivered and his vision blurred. He looked up again, in the direction Azamin had taken Lucy. He blinked rapidly as his head spun.

"Lucy," he whispered as his eyes fluttered back in his head and his body collapsed to the ground, head slamming into the cold metal floor of his cage.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Gray burst into the guild hall.

Juvia squealed and pranced over to him, "My love! Juvia has missed you!"

"Is Lucy here?" he asked in a panic. "She's here, right?"

"Lucy's not here, but your beloved Juvia is right before your eyes!"

Gray passed her, glancing at the guild members loitering around the hall. "Are you sure? You haven't seen her at all?"

"Juvia hasn't…" she followed him. "What's wrong, my love?"

"Oh, Gray," Erza approached. "Good, you're here. Where's Lucy? Wendy and I decided we should go on a job to lighten the mood."

"Lucy's gone."

The small smile Erza had on her face slowly faded, "What?"

A chill ran down Gray's spine. "W-well, you see… she wanted some alone time… so I kinda left for an hour or so…"

"You were supposed to keep an eye on her!"

"I know! I know!" He pulled his hair in frustration, "Shit. I went back to her apartment just a little bit ago to get her, but she was gone."

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know!"

"Was there a note? She wouldn't just take off without leaving a note!"

"There was nothing!"

"Did you search the room? Look for evidence?" Erza's voice rose.

"I did!" Gray matched her volume. "The only thing out of place was her left boot lying in the doorway."

"Where was the other?"

"It was gone."

Erza crossed her arms over her chest, "Lucy wouldn't go out willingly with only one boot on. She must have been taken by force."

"Erza!"

Both of them looked to the door. Happy flew into the guild hall, shouting, "Erza! Gray!"

"What is it, Happy?"

He landed on the ground and peered up at them, "Well, it might be nothing… but I… can't find Natsu anywhere."

"What?" Gray looked at Erza. They shared a long stare and then looked back to Happy.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Erza asked.

"This morning," he answered. "He left to search the woods again. But it usually only takes him a few hours before he comes back. When he didn't show up for lunch, I came here looking for him with no luck. Then I went to Lucy's apartment, but it was empty."

Gray turned to Erza, "You don't think that idiot—"

Erza sighed and rubbed her temples, "No. Natsu's stupid, but he's not _that _stupid. He wouldn't take Lucy somewhere at a time like this. Especially not without Happy."

"Lucy's missing too?" Happy's lip quivered. "Has something bad happened to them?"

"Gray, Happy," Erza said, "Gather up a search party and search the entire town. I'm going to tell Master what's going on and get his advice. When I know what to do, I'll have Warren patch a link between us."

"Got it."

"Aye."

* * *

><p>"Are you prepared?"<p>

Lucy pulled at her bindings, "What do you plan to do to me?"

Azamin chuckled. He sat on a wooden chair in front of her, legs crossed, arms folded over his chest. "You shouldn't worry about that."

"I am worrying!" she looked up at her hands tied above her head. "What idiot wouldn't be worried when some disgusting man kidnaps her and ties her to the ceiling?"

His eyes flashed, "You've got quite the mouth on you."

Lucy gulped, sweat lining on her brow, "D-do I? It's just… a reflex. I… I don't really… I mean…"

"Don't worry," he said with a smirk, "I won't touch you. Not yet."

Lucy pulled again at the ropes. "Why are you doing this?"

He stood and circled her slowly. She straightened, chills running down her spine. "Disobedient women need to be cleansed," he said softly.

"I'm not disobedient. So… so I don't need to be cleansed."

He chuckled, "Lying is a form of disobedience." He finished circling her and dropped into his chair once more. "At first you interested me. I felt that I needed to have you at any cost."

Lucy gulped.

"But now…" his eyes glinted, "I just want to see you and that partner of yours suffer."

"Natsu—" Sudden fear struck and she twisted her legs, "Ahn…" She squeezed her eyes shut.

"That's a good girl," he murmured. "Let's see how much you can take, shall we?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Lucy arched her back and let loose a bloodcurdling scream into the ceiling.

* * *

><p>Lucy wrapped herself up in the sheet once more and kneeled beside Natsu's unconscious body. The ropes had long since released him, revealing thick, dark, angry marks on his arms, chest, and back where he struggled. His face was drenched in sweat, his brow was twisted and mouth open and panting.<p>

Lucy pulled his head onto her lap and gently wiped the sweat from his skin. Her body was exhausted. She reached down to gently touch Natsu's arm where a red mark was, but she caught sight of a similar marking around her wrist and instantly pulled back. She examined both of her wrists where the thick angry rope burn was etched into her pale skin. Tears welled up in her eyes but she turned her face to the ceiling and blinked them away rapidly. She never used to cry this much. She was beginning to feel useless again. Out of control of her own body. Her own emotions.

Her own life.

She hated that feeling.

But what could she do? It's not like she could just stop herself from feeling. She couldn't just tell herself to not be afraid. Or… she could, but it's not like it would work. She could actually tell herself whatever she wanted. She could claim to be ten meters tall sporting a purple afro and it wouldn't make it true.

At least she was used to this feeling. The all encompassing sensation of absolute worthlessness. She looked down at Natsu again. His panting had softened to even breathing and his brow unfurled slightly. What was _he _feeling, she wondered. While Lucy was accustomed to being powerless, Natsu was the opposite. He was strong, capable, powerful, and now… completely useless.

The tears rose again. "I'm sorry Natsu," she whispered. "This is all my fault."

Natsu suddenly jerked straight up, slamming his forehead on hers.

"LUCY!" he shouted.

"Ow!" Lucy covered her forehead with both of her hands.

Natsu whirled around, eyes growing wide. "Lucy! You're alive!"

"Of course I'm—" Natsu threw his arms around her and crushed her against his chest. "Natsu?"

He shoved his face into her hair and breathed out a quiet, "Shit."

"Natsu?" Lucy tensed.

His arms tightened around her shoulders, "I thought you were dead. I thought for sure he was going to kill you…"

Lucy blinked rapidly, "D-do you really think I'd go that easily?" She pulled back and gave him a smile. "No way. And leave you to go back to wrecking everything you touch? Not a chance. I've worked too hard to let it all go to waste like that!"

"What did he do to you?"

She gulped, "Nothing."

He scowled, but didn't press her for answers. Instead, he stood and went to the wall, "Where the fuck is he? I'm gonna kill him!" He punched the glass again and again.

Lucy watched him for long minutes as he got exceedingly more violent, even throwing his own body against the glass with all his might. She gulped. It was no use. Without his magic, that wall wasn't coming down. What was she supposed to do? He was going to end up hurting himself if she just let him continue to pound on the magic reinforced glass.

"N-Natsu," she said, climbing unsteadily to her feet. Her legs quivered and ached.

Natsu paused and looked over his shoulder at her, hands balled into fists against the wall.

"It can't be broken just like that," she said.

"I'll break it," he said, turning back. "I have to. I'll get us out of here. I promise."

He stepped back and kicked at the glass. Lucy twisted her hands up in the sheet and watched, flinching every time his foot connected.

"St-stop," she said. "Natsu. Stop. Stop it please."

"No!" he slammed his shoulder into the glass. "No! I'll break it! I'll do it! I have to get you out of here now!" He grunted as he rammed it over and over again. "I _have to do it_!" his face distorted in frustration and anger. "I'm Natsu Dragneel! I'm Igneel's son! I'm a dragon slayer! I was trained to _slay dragons_! This stupid glass wall should be _nothing to me_!"

Lucy was silent. She had never seen this side of him before. In desperate situations in the past, he had always retained a shred of his humor and positivity. What happened? Why did he look so frantic? Why was he trying so hard?

"Nats—"

"I can do it!" He slammed both of his fists into the wall and held them there. He leaned heavily against them, "I can do it… I…" He slid to his knees and loosened his fists. He pressed his forehead against the glass and tapped his palms softly. "I have to…"

Lucy bit back new tears. It was killing her, seeing him so defeated. She squeezed her eyes shut. _This is all my fault_, she thought angrily. _It's my fault he's like this_. She inhaled deeply and walked slowly up to the wall.

Natsu didn't move from his spot on the ground. Lucy nodded and then smiled.

"Can't do it, eh? Well watch this, Natsu!"

He slowly glanced up at her.

She wound up her right arm, patting her shoulder with her left, "Just let me get warmed up a little bit," she said. She flexed her bicep, "Okay! I'm ready!" She got into a wide stance and cocked her arm back. "_LUCYYYYY…_" she snapped her fist forward, "_PUNCH!_"

Her hand cracked against the wall and she yelped. "Ouch! Ouch!" she pranced back into the room, waving her aching hand around. "Ouch! Did it work?" she turned back to the unblemished wall. She propped her hands on her hips and snorted, "Give it time."

Natsu stared at her for a moment.

She nodded, "It'll shatter. Just a second."

Seconds ticked by, and the knot Lucy had tied in her sheet dress slowly unraveled. The sheet dropped to the ground and Lucy stood in all of her naked glory in the center of the cage, legs spread wide.

"EEEEEEEEEEEK!" Lucy dropped to the ground, fumbling for the sheet. "Don't looooooook!" she sobbed as her clumsy hands dropped the fabric again and again.

Rumbling laughter erupted from Natsu as he fell backwards on the floor. He pounded his fist into the metal as he guffawed. Lucy managed to finally get a hold of the sheet and wrap it around her. She tied the knot again and pouted.

"Stop laughing at a woman's naked body. Don't you know how much it hurts my self esteem?"

"Jeese, Lucy," he said, rolling into a sitting position. "You don't have to freak out so much. It's not like I've ever seen your naked body before."

She gasped, "You act like you've seen it a lot!"

He shrugged, "Well sure. Me and the other guys peeked on you girls in the bath plenty of times. Also when you're changing, or when we're all swimming together and you conveniently lose a top or bottom in the water…"

"Stoooooop!" she crawled over to him and hit him softly with her fists. "You perverts! You should never spy on women!"

"Yeah, yeah," he batted her fists away. His eyes caught the red sores around her wrists and his expression immediately darkened. Lucy hid the marks and stared at the floor.

Natsu leaned one arm on his knee and looked across the room. They were silent for long moments before he finally said softly, "I'm not used to this."

"It's not every day you get to spend in a cage," Lucy agreed.

"Not that."

She looked up at him.

"I'm not used to being powerless," He ran his fingers through his messy pink hair. "Even when fighting the dragons at the flower palace… or Hades and Gildarts… I never felt powerless. I could still fight. I still had a purpose. I could try and try, and maybe make a scratch. But now…" he punched the floor. "I can't do _anything_. I… I'm completely… _useless_. And you're the one suffering because of it."

"Natsu, it's not your job to protect me."

"Isn't it?"

She gulped and looked away, "I wish you would just worry a little more about yourself."

"I'm not as important," he grumbled.

Heat flared in her cheeks, "Wh-what are you talking about? We're equally as important."

"Hmph," he pouted, staring across the room.

Lucy pursed her lips. She sighed and stood, reaching a hand down to him. "I'm tired. Let's go to sleep, okay? We'll figure out how to break out tomorrow."

He stared at her hand for a few seconds before taking it and allowing her to pull him to his feet. They both looked to the twin bed and quickly let go of each other's hand.

"So," Natsu scratched the back of his head. "I'll sleep on the floor…"

"It's fine," Lucy cleared her throat and turned her head away. "It's big enough. We can share." She walked over to the bed and sat down. She looked up at him and then quickly away. She cleared her throat again and lay down on her side, stacking her hands under her cheek.

Natsu rubbed his neck uncomfortably and walked around to the other side of the bed. He stretched out next to her, leaning closer towards the edge.

Lucy gulped. The cage grew awkwardly silent. After half an hour, the lights in the room turned off and they were left in darkness. They tensed, expecting something nasty to happen, but nothing did. After twenty minutes, they settled down. Natsu covered his eyes with his arm.

"Sorry." His voice came, soft and low.

Lucy stared across the room quietly.

"If I hadn't interfered the first time," he went on. "We wouldn't be in this situation."

She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I should've trusted you more. I'm sorry."

_I don't want to hear that_, she thought.

"I'm sorry I'm so useless now…" he clenched his jaw. "I promise I'll figure something out. I'll get us out of here."

Lucy cleared her throat, "Natsu."

He pulled his arm from his eyes and turned his head in her direction. He could just barely make out the outline of her body in the darkness.

"I'm cold," she whispered.

Natsu sat up on his elbow. He stared down at her for long seconds and then turned his face up. He opened his mouth and blew out a puff of fire. The room glowed slightly and then warmth spread.

Natsu breathed out a sigh of relief that he hadn't used too much. He lay back down and stared at the ceiling.

"Thank you," she murmured.

He gulped and covered his eyes with his arm once more.

"Anytime," he said gruffly as the first of his tears slid down his temples.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_Gray_.

Gray paused as the voice sounded in his head. Juvia stopped at his side.

_Have you two found anything?_ Erza asked.

He sighed and answered, _Nothing._

She didn't reply for a short time.

_Alright. Keep it up._

"Gray-sama…" Juvia said quietly.

"Come on, Juvia," he moved forward again. "Let's keep looking."

* * *

><p>Warren crossed his arms over his chest. "No luck from any of the groups."<p>

Erza rubbed her temples, "I checked with the other magic guilds in the towns nearby, but no one has seen or heard from them."

"I tried sniffing them out," Wendy said. "But I couldn't catch a single hint." She clasped her hands together and looked at the floor. "Maybe my nose just isn't as good as Natsu's is."

"You did good, Wendy," Erza assured her. "Happy and Carla are flying over the nearby forests and checking in with Porlyusica. We have search parties out there looking everywhere. I'm sure we will find them in no time."

"It's fine, isn't it?"

Erza and Wendy turned to Laxus. He sat on a bench, back leaning against the table behind him, arms crossed over his chest.

"What?" Erza said.

"Why are you all in such a panic over this?" he asked. "She's with _that _guy, isn't she?"

Wendy and Erza exchanged a glance.

"So she'll be fine," he gazed off across the guild hall. "That brat always finds a way. He will this time too."

"I hope you're right," Erza said and turned away.

* * *

><p>"AUGH!" Natsu yanked at the ropes with all his strength. They tightened painfully around his chest, aggravating the sores from yesterday.<p>

Lucy tugged on them, "Stay still! Let me help!"

Azamin entered the cage and approached.

"Get back Lucy!" Natsu tried to climb to his feet, but the ropes pulled him down onto his back. He kicked his feet frantically.

Lucy stood, "Don't touch me!"

Azamin sighed. "I'd much rather wait until we are alone to use it, but I guess you leave me with no choice."

Lucy pitched to her knees, she choked, eyes rolling back into her head. Azamin caught her before she fainted. He removed the sheet and then tossed her naked body over his shoulder.

"Oops," he said. "Since we are inside the cage, my fear magic is drastically amplified." He chuckled, "Oh well. I'll wake her up."

"_BASTARD_!" Natsu fought desperately against his binding.

"Hmhm," Azamin gave a wave and exited the room. "Have a nice day."

"I'm going to—" Natsu yelped as the floor opened up and he dropped down, down, down into darkness.

* * *

><p>Lucy panted. She bent her knees, relying on the ropes around her wrists to keep her up as she rested her legs.<p>

"You are exceptionally strong against my magic," Azamin observed. "I'm impressed."

"Fuck off," she spat.

He grinned, "There's that disobedient attitude I've grown to love."

"I said _fuck off_!" she twisted her hands angrily. "Don't use that word so casually! You know _nothing_ of love!"

"Hm," he rubbed his chin, "Now you're getting a little out of hand, don't you think? Maybe I ought to punish you a little more."

Fear gripped her once more. She clenched her teeth until they creaked and squeezed her eyes shut. She wouldn't scream. No more. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Hm," the fear faded. Azamin stood. "That won't do. Don't you know I want to hear your lovely voice?"

"_Fuck off_."

He chuckled, "Alright. I guess I'll have to pull out my wild card then."

The door to the room opened and a line of naked women walked inside. Lucy watched in horror. They stood in front of her, eyes cast to the floor.

"These are my pets," Azamin explained. "The women I've adopted before you."

"You… _bastard_!" Lucy yanked on her ropes.

He walked up to her and took her chin in his hand. "Oh? How about this. I promise not to touch these women, physically or magically, so long as you take the entirety of _their _cleansing onto yourself. How does that sound?"

She gulped and quickly counted the women. Eight. Was it even possible for her to withstand the torture meant for nine different women? Fear, her own, not placed into her mind by the evil mage before her, took hold. But in the end, she just couldn't force herself to refuse.

She shook his hand away and stared at the floor, "I'll take it."

Azamin's laughter echoed through the room.

* * *

><p>Natsu sat staring at the door intensely. It was getting late. Lucy should have been back by now. Where was she? Had Azamin done something to her? Was she alright?<p>

"Hey!" he barked. "Where's Lucy?"

There was no reply.

"C'mon! I know there's someone out there keeping an eye on me! Tell me where Lucy is and when I break out of this shithole I'll promise to spare your life!"

Still no reply.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

Nothing.

Natsu proceeded to fill the void with his shouts, at one point even resorting to singing way off tune, even hurting his _own_ ears… but still, no one came to check on him. He sighed and wiggled inside his bindings.

"My ass hurts!" he complained. "Ya hear me? My ass hurts from sitting on this stupid floor! I demand a pillow!"

He glanced down at his bare lower body and added, "And throw in some pants while you're at it! You think Lucy _likes _havin' to see this?" He crossed his legs. "I mean… she _should_. I _am _an impressive force of nature, if I do say so myself… but _come on_! It's just weird having to free ball all day!"

"Would you shut up?" a voice finally broke across the room.

Natsu perked, "So there _was _someone there!" a wide grin stretched across his face, "I knew it! Hey pal, why don't you let me outta here?"

"You think I'm stupid?" a man walked up to the glass wall in front of him. "You really think I'm just gonna let you out just because you asked?"

"Please?"

He turned away, "Never."

"Awwww, come on! What if I promise not to knock your head loose?"

"Just shut up. Your little girlfriend will be back in a short while."

Natsu grew serious. He clenched his hands into fists. "Hey, pal. How about you tell me what that bastard is doing to her?" his voice was low and gruff, so different from goofy drawl he sported before.

"Don't you worry about that," the man said. "It's got nothing to do with you."

"If you really believe that shit, then you're stupider than I thought."

"What did you just say?" the man turned back to him and froze. The furious look branded onto the dragon slayer's face stopped him dead in his tracks. He cleared his throat. "It's not what you think. Azamin's not into that physical stuff. Which is a shame considering that every chick he nabs is a total babe. I don't really know what his deal is, actually. He has a thing about tying them up. So they gotta stand. Then he scares 'em senseless. He gets off on their screams, it seems like."

He glanced down at the pink haired prisoner and instantly regretted ever opening his mouth. A vein bulged in his temple, his golden eyes were fiery.

He tried to defuse the situation, "He don't ever touch 'em though. He won't hurt her physically. He's not straight forward enough for that."

"I'm going to kill him," Natsu's voice was soft, bursting at the seams of his control. He fought against the ropes, "When I get out of here, I'm gonna burn him to ashes and make him regret ever messing with _Fairy Tail_!"

The man stepped back, nearly blown away by his sudden exclamation.

"Fuck," he grunted. "Can't you read the situation, asshole? You ain't gettin' out of there. Not ever. Azamin is gonna keep you holed up in this cage until he breaks your little girlfriend and you go mad from the grief, ya got it?" He turned away, "Just be thankful he's still giving you the nights to spend with her. Don't waste it," He gritted his teeth and walked away. "Like I did," he muttered under his breath.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Azamin carried her back into the cage under his right arm. He swished the liquefied wall to the side and stepped inside to face the furious dragon slayer.

Natsu jerked against the ropes, unable to contain his rage. "You dare bring her back to me unconscious?" he roared.

He smirked and released her. Lucy slumped to the floor and didn't move.

"Lucy!"

Azamin chuckled as he turned and left the cage once more.

"BASTARD! Get back here!" Natsu fought his binds.

But he didn't come back. He swished the wall back in to place and left the outer room. The ropes holding Natsu slithered away and disappeared into the floor. He crawled quickly across the cage to Lucy's body.

"Lucy?" he rolled her onto her back gently. He patted her pale face. "Come on… time to wake up."

Her brow wrinkled and she moaned. Slowly, she tensed and moved her legs. Her eyes slowly blinked open and she peered up at him with a tired squint.

"Natsu? What—" she suddenly punched him in the chin. "EEEEEEE! Idiot! Don't look!"

Natsu flew back from the force of her punch as Lucy rushed to the sheet lying in the middle of the cage.

"Pervert! Fiend! Monster!" she shouted as she wrapped the white fabric around her quivering body.

"What's the deal, Lucy?" Natsu sat up, rubbing his chin. "Whose team are you on?"

"The team that doesn't ogle my naked body!" she stuck her tongue out at him violently. "No one's team apparently!"

"I'm not ogling!" he defended. "I was lookin' at your face! That's it!"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, "Liar." Her eyes fell on a tray on the ground near the left wall. It had a bowl of rice, a pitcher of water, and three biscuits on it. She glanced at him, "Have you eaten?"

He pouted, "I've been tied up all day."

She slid over to the food, not trusting her legs to support her if she tried to stand. "You should eat," she said.

"Don't wanna."

She stared at him, "You don't _want to_?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, "Not hungry."

"Since when have you _ever _not been hungry?" she sipped out of the pitcher and then set it back down.

"I'm just not, okay? And what about you? I'll bet he didn't feed you all day either."

"What makes you think that? Come on, you need food." She crawled over to him, sliding the tray in front of her.

"What does he do to you all day?"

She pursed her lips and sat on her heels, "Nothing, really."

He glared at her, "Where's Loke?"

"Huh?" she cocked her head to the side.

"Loke. Usually at this point, he would've used his own magic power to come save you, right? So where is that jackass?"

Lucy gulped and looked at the floor, "I… I don't know. I don't even know where my keys are…"

Natsu scowled.

Lucy smiled brightly, "It's no use worrying about it right now. C'mon. You need to eat!" She picked up a biscuit and held it out to him. "Here you go!"

He ignored the food, turning his nose up and pouting his lips.

"Do your arms not work?"

"Don't want it."

"Sure you do. Here."

"No."

Lucy sighed and scooted closer to him, "Okay, I'll just feed it to you. Open wiiiiiide!" she lifted the biscuit to his mouth, but he turned his face away.

"No."

"Come on—"

"No."

She grabbed his chin and forced his mouth open, shoving the biscuit inside, "_EAT THE DAMN BISCUIT ALREADY_."

Natsu fell backwards, arms still crossed over his chest as he chewed dejectedly.

Lucy smiled, "There! How does it taste?"

"Awmful," he muttered and then swallowed it down.

"That's too bad," she picked up the bowl of rice and a wooden spoon. "Now sit up so I can feed you the rice."

"Don't want—"

She elbowed him in the stomach and he nearly spat up the biscuit she had just forced down his throat.

"Jeese Lucy," he rubbed his ribs and slowly sat up again.

She scooped up a spoonful of rice and sang, "Awwwwwwww…"

He sighed and opened his mouth, eyes closed. She shoveled the rice inside and he chewed it with a glare in her direction. She smiled innocently.

"Is it good?"

"It's cold."

"So heat it up."

Natsu cocked an eyebrow and then sucked in a deep breath. He blew a narrow stream of fire at the bowl. Flames erupted all around the room.

Lucy shrieked and Natsu quickly cut off the magic.

"Sorry!"

She sighed and dipped the spoon into the rice. "Even a small dose like that…"

"I can do it," he took the bowl from her hands and ate ravenously.

"Look who's hungry all of the sudden," Lucy smiled.

"Well, since you're not gonna eat it," he mumbled, mouth full. "Might as well…"

He finished the bowl and dropped it onto the tray again, reaching for the remaining biscuits. Lucy giggled as he wolfed them down. She leaned over and brushed a grain of rice from his cheek softly.

He stared at her.

She pushed at her hair absently and sighed, "What I wouldn't give for a hairbrush…" She glanced at him. Her eyes wandered over his messy pink hair. She frowned, "You look strangely… clean."

He ran his fingers through his hair, "I was force bathed after you were taken."

"Wh-what?"

He nodded, "I was dragged through the floor to this giant bathroom where these big guys with brushes scrubbed me raw."

She blinked at him in disbelief.

"It wasn't as fun as it sounds."

"It doesn't sound fun at all!"

He shrugged.

The cage suddenly went dark.

Natsu shifted until he was crouching directly next to Lucy, hand on her arm protectively. They waited for long tensed seconds, but when nothing happened, they relaxed.

"I guess that's our signal for bed time," Lucy said.

Natsu stood. She tried to do the same, but stumbled back to the ground when her legs gave out. She cursed under her breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

Natsu scooped her up in his arms.

"N-Natsu—"

"Quit complainin'," he said. "It'll take you an hour to get across the room at that rate."

"I'm not complaining," she pouted.

He carried her to the bed and set her down. He moved around to his side and lay down as well. Silence ticked the minutes away.

Just as Lucy was closing her eyes, his voice came.

"I'm sorry."

She gulped.

"I'm sorry I can't protect you."

"Natsu."

"I'm sorry you have to take care of me like a kid."

"Natsu."

"I'm sorry that—"

"_Natsu_."

He clenched his teeth.

"I'm cold."

He closed his eyes and breathed out a shuddering breath. He lit a small flame on the tip of his index finger and flicked it across the room. It bounced against the wall and slowly a warm wave filled the air.

Lucy reached an arm across the bed and slid her hand into Natsu's. He squeezed, lacing their fingers together. And that's how they stayed for the remainder of the night.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Garlic."

"Right. Next."

"Green algae."

"Correct. Next."

Erza sat down at the table and watched as Carla shuffled out various plants in front of a blindfolded Wendy.

"What are you two doing?" she asked.

"I'm training my nose," Wendy explained. "If it can get to the level of Natsu's then maybe I can sniff them out."

Erza bit her lip and tapped her fingers on the table.

"Sand bloom."

"Correct," Carla switched out the plants for others.

It had been an entire week and they hadn't caught so much as a hint as to where Natsu and Lucy had disappeared to.

Erza was driven nearly mad. The lack of control she had over the situation was infuriating. Where was that idiot? Where was that bimbo? She buried her face in her arms. She missed them both terribly. Cana's cards were turning up nothing. The search parties moved farther and farther away from Magnolia, stretching all across Fiore, but each day was met with disappointment. And worst yet, Erza was stuck in the guild hall, giving orders in Master Makarov's place as he met with the magic council.

He went with hopes of aide from the military, but Erza doubted he would get what he wished for. Considering Fairy Tail's shifty past and rocky relationship with the council, help from them was almost as hopeless as finding Natsu and Lucy on their own.

"Warren," Erza called over her shoulder. "Any news?"

"Jet met up with Droy and Levy again," he said, fingers on his temple. "He paid a visit to all of the ports, but no one claimed to see Natsu or Lucy board any ships."

She sighed, "And have you heard from Lily and Gajeel?"

"The demons of Galuna Island haven't seen them either."

"What about Princess Hisui?"

"Max reported an hour ago that she hadn't seen them, but she offered men to help search."

She nodded, "There's some bit of good news at least." She watched Wendy and Carla for a few moments before she asked, "What about Happy?"

Warren didn't answer for a minute. Wendy and Carla grew silent.

Finally, it was Carla that answered, "He's inconsolable. I tried to get him to stay with us… but he left the other day and hasn't shown up again."

"I checked in with him this morning," Warren said. "He's somewhere near Shirotsume. We didn't talk long."

"Can you really blame him?" Erza brushed her long red hair behind her ear.

"No… unfortunately… I can't."

* * *

><p>"I grow bored."<p>

Lucy gasped for air, leaning her head back, hanging from her bound wrists.

Azamin sighed from his spot on the wooden chair before her. "I once thought I'd never grow tired of a woman's terrified screams. But I do believe I've hit a wall."

Lucy lolled her head forward, "How sad for you," she panted.

"Hm…" Azamin stood. "I think we need a change of scenery." He cut her ropes and caught her on his shoulder. "Let's switch rooms, shall we?"

Lucy was so grateful to be released from her unbearable stance that she didn't fight as he carried her out of the room. She didn't even complain until she realized just where he was taking her.

"W-wait," she struggled against him. "No. Not there."

He chuckled.

"Stop. Please. No, don't. _Please_!"

Azamin ignored her and shoved the door open. He carried her inside the room and dropped her on the floor in front of the glass cage.

"Lucy!" Natsu sat up from his spot in the middle of the cage.

Lucy stared up at Azamin, tears filling her eyes. "Please… anywhere but here…"

He grinned and leaned over her, "What's the matter? Don't you think your friend ought to join in on the fun every once in a while?"

"Please! I'll do anything! _Anything!_"

"Quiet," he waved his hand and straightened.

Fear cut at her mind and she screamed, covering her face with her hands, which were still tied together.

"_LUCY!_" Natsu strained against his binds.

Another stab of fear arched her back and left her gasping. She stared through the glass. Tears pooled down her temples.

"I— I'm sorry Natsu," she sobbed. "I'm sorry. Don't look… don't listen…"

Azamin giggled, "No talking. Only screaming."

Terror gripped her, she was so overwhelmed with the all encompassing fear that she couldn't see. She couldn't hear as Natsu screamed her name over and over again.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"You're getting my hair wet," Lucy complained.

Natsu buried his face deeper against the back of her neck. He squeezed her tighter around the waist.

She sighed and stroked his arm. "Come on… I'm fine, aren't I?"

His body shuddered, shaking the bed and her.

She closed her eyes, gently rubbing his arm in the darkness. _It's no use_, she decided. There was no cheering him up tonight. She could only hope that he fell asleep quickly and dreamt of something pleasant. Anything to help him forget what Azamin forced him to watch earlier.

It was easier when there was mystery. Lucy was a capable actress. She had managed to keep the atmosphere light whenever she returned to the cage, no matter the condition Azamin had left her in. And when she was laughing and smiling, Natsu's cheerful grin was easy to coax out.

But now… maybe it was impossible.

The back of her neck was drenched in his tears. She gulped and squeezed his arm. Her mother's face rose in her mind. She would know exactly what to do if it was her daughter broken down in front of her.

Lucy breathed in a deep breath of air and started to hum her mother's song.

* * *

><p>"I can wash myself."<p>

The man ignored Lucy and sloshed the soapy sponge onto her back.

"This is embarrassing, please stop touching me." She wiggled away across the bath. "Let me do it myself. I'm not going to do anything. What _can _I do? I don't have my keys or my whip."

He sighed and grabbed the rope tying her hands together. He pulled her back towards him, "Just shut up and take it. Azamin ordered me to wash you, so that's what I'm going to do."

Lucy fell silent and didn't fight when he pushed the sponge across her shoulder blades. He glanced up at the back of her head.

"You don't seem all that bothered that I'm looking at your naked body."

Lucy didn't even flinch, "A month ago, I would have been bothered. Now… I just don't feel like it matters anymore."

"But you still scream and punch your friend whenever he looks."

"It's different with Natsu," her voice was soft. "It means more with him."

"Hm…"

"What's your name?"

He blinked at her, "It doesn't matter."

"Please tell me."

He gulped, "Kieran."

"Kieran. I'm Lucy."

He didn't answer.

"Why do you work for Azamin?"

"It doesn't matter."

"You don't seem like a bad person. I don't feel disgusting when touched by you like I do with Azamin."

Heat blazed up his cheeks. He switched out the sponge for a bottle of shampoo, "You're wrong. I'm a bad person. Just like him."

"No. You've been gentle with me this entire time. And you always have a sad look on your face. Is he holding you against your will?" she turned and examined him closely. Her eyes wandered over his short brown hair, his right blue eye, the leather eye patch shrouding the left, his crooked nose, and the sharp stubble on his chin and cheeks.

Kieran squirted shampoo into his hand and grabbed her head, turning her face away again as he lathered up her blonde hair. "Just shut up. I'm almost done. Then you can go back to your cage."

She didn't speak for long seconds. He was just rinsing the shampoo out of her hair when she asked, "If we are prisoners, why is Azamin going through the trouble of making sure we are clean?"

"That guy's got a thing for cleanliness," Kieran mumbled. "Can't stand the germs."

"Is that so…" Lucy fell silent.

He waited for her next attempt at conversation but it didn't come. After a minute, he realized what she was thinking.

"Don't."

"Hm?" Lucy turned her head in his direction.

"Azamin takes this cleanliness thing really seriously. If you do something to set him off, he _will not _hesitate to kill you."

"I don't know what you think I'm gonna do but—"

"Don't do it. Just… _don't_ do it. Promise me that you won't."

Lucy turned and stared at him. His lone blue eye was intense under his low brow. She faced forward again.

"It's not your job to worry about me."

He opened his mouth to answer, but she added, "But I promise anyway."

Kieran let out a deep breath and stood, "C'mon, time to go back."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Azamin crouched at Lucy's side and stroked her hair tenderly as she panted into the floor.

"Don't… fucking… touch… her…" Natsu croaked between gulping gasps. The ropes around his chest had tightened with his fighting, nearly cutting off his air completely.

Azamin ignored him and dragged his fingers across Lucy's temple. "Such beautiful screams," he murmured softly. His eyes flickered up to the pink haired dragon slayer within the glass cage. "And yours aren't bad either. I do love the way they harmonize with my pet's."

"I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna kill you…" Natsu muttered, blinking rapidly against the spots that swam in his vision.

Azamin sighed, "You have become a bit of a broken record though, I'm afraid. Maybe I'm ready for some fresh sounds."

Lucy jerked her head up to stare at him, "Y-you promised you wouldn't hurt the others…"

"That I did, my pet," he held her chin and grinned down at her. "But there's someone else whose screams I've yet to hear."

"Wh-who…"

"Kieran," Azamin stood, "Bring him in."

The wide door of the room opened and Keiran walked in, pulling a small glass cage on wheels behind him. Inside the glass walls was a pedestal upon which Lucy's pouch of keys sat. Standing at the wall nearest them was a man in a sharp black suit with wild red hair and lightly tinted sunglasses.

"Lucy!" Loke exclaimed when he saw her.

"L-Loke!" Lucy struggled into a sitting position.

He took in her bedraggled, naked state and narrowed his eyes at Azamin, "You bastard…"

"Loke!" Natsu shouted. "What're you doing? Where have you been hiding, you coward?" He tugged on his ropes. "You were supposed to rescue Lucy weeks ago!"

"Go back, Loke!" Lucy said. "Go back to the celestial spirit world now!"

Azamin chuckled and walked over to the cage. He stood before it, hands clasped behind his back. "I'm afraid he can't do that."

"What do you mean?" Lucy gulped.

Loke sighed and turned his eyes away. "I used my own power to get here, but my key drew me to this cage. My magic power has been completely drained and I can't go back through my gate."

"How is that possible?" Lucy looked to Azamin. "What have you done?"

He turned to her and held his arms out wide, a grin stretching across his face, "Is it any surprise that I would have at least this much power?" he laughed. "You all have proven to be so entertaining, it's only natural that I'd do whatever I could to keep the fun going!"

"Please…" Lucy climbed to her knees. "Please, I'll do anything. Just let Natsu and Loke go."

"Lucy—" Loke pressed his palms against the glass.

"Don't say another word, Lucy," Natsu ordered suddenly. He straightened, "You must be stupid if you think we would just leave you alone with this psychopath."

Lucy ducked her head.

"Shall we start?" Azamin returned to her and leaned over, gripping her chin and turning her tear stained face up in his direction. "I want to hear the song your screams will create."

Fear stabbed the back of her head and she jerked from his grasp, letting loose a bone shaking scream.

"Lucy!" Natsu fought against his binds once more.

"_No! Lucy!_" Loke pounded his fists against his cage to no avail.

Azamin threw his head back and laughed.

* * *

><p>"Sitting back and taking it will do you no good."<p>

His voice was so soft, Lucy almost thought she imagined it. She leaned against the side of the bath and glanced at Kieran, "What was that?"

His blue eye flicked up into her face and then back down as he scrubbed her back with a sponge.

"You think you're wise to keep up this deal you have going with him…" he said. "But you're wrong. One of these days, he'll take something from you that you won't be able to get back. Ever."

She sighed and turned forwards again. "It's fine. So long as he leaves Natsu and Loke alone."

"You think he's leaving them alone? You think watching you scream day in and day out isn't affecting them? They're suffering more than you know. Azamin is well aware of that."

Lucy was silent.

"He gets bored when you just roll over and take it," Kieran explained. "The reason he was interested in you in the first place was your disobedient personality. Now that it's gone, he targets your friends. If you fight him again, his attention will be drawn from them and they won't be bothered."

"If you're giving advice, you might as well help us escape," Lucy said.

Kieran froze. He clenched his jaw and tossed the sponge across the bathroom. He grabbed the shampoo and squirted it into his hand. "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me."

"You don't matter."

Lucy sat silently as he lathered her hair in the shampoo.

After long minutes, his voice came again, gruff and low, "I'm already too far gone. There's no happy ending for me. So just worry about yourself and don't think another second about me."

Lucy couldn't even count how many seconds the sadness in his voice haunted her mind that night.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Hey everybody, here's my first official author's note. I wanna start off by saying thank you to everyone that's been following the story all this time. Your support is really encouraging and probably one of the only reasons I've been keeping up with an update every day (and sometimes every other day... sorry) I really love when I get notified about a new review so if you guys want to keep me giddy you can keep spitting those babies out. I also am up for some personal messages if you want to shoot me some comments, concerns, questions. It doesn't even have to be about the story or Fairy Tail. I'm here for any reason whatsoever so please feel comfortable about calling out to me. Anyway, I'm going to be introducing a concept in the next two chapters involving magic transferal that might not entirely make sense... so bear with me. It's only in these chapters that it will probably even come up so if you absolutely hate the idea, you're in luck. So... I think that's all I've got to say at the moment, other than another thank you and please feel free to review or pm me. Hope you guys enjoy whatever crap comes out of me in the future.**

**-Moo**

* * *

><p>Chapter 16<p>

"Natsuuuu," Lucy sang, pulling at his cheeks. "Natsuuu Draaaagneeel. Smiiiile," she pushed the corners of his mouth up. "Awww," she cocked her head to the side and grinned. "Now that's a gorgeous smile right there. Let's see if it sticks." She pulled her hands away but his face fell back to its usual frown. She pouted, "I can't believe you let my hard work go to waste like that."

"I don't want to smile," Natsu mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Aw, but why?"

"I can't smile when my friend is hurting."

"Who are you talking about?" Lucy flexed her muscles. "I know you're not talking about _me_. I'm better than ever. I mean… look at these pythons!" she patted her right bicep. "Woo! Someone put a leash on these beasts!"

Natsu stared at her pathetic arms for a few minutes before sitting on his feet, "That's nothing, Loopy. Look at these bad boys!" He flexed his arms proudly.

"_WHOA_!" Lucy fell back on her butt, eyes wide. "Where did those things come from? Natsu you have to tell me your secret!"

"Well, I don't like to brag…" Natsu scoffed. "But I got them from kicking Gray's icy butt all these years!"

"No kidding?" Lucy poked his left bicep. "Jeese! Hard as titanium! You tellin' me if I kick Gray's butt a few times I can look like you?"

"Well," he lowered his arms, "don't get ahead of yourself. There's also a lot of other stuff you gotta do. I have a pretty strict training regime that keeps things tight."

Lucy giggled into her hand, "Will you let me in on the secrets of that regime?"

"Sure! It's been a while since I trained anyway, let's do it right now!" Natsu leaned forward on his hands and knees. "First we start off with two hundred pushups!"

Lucy's mouth dropped open, "_EHHHH? Two hundred_? I can't do that many!"

"C'mon, Lucy! Don't you want to get in shape like me?" he started dipping his chin low to the ground.

"Well… alright," she took position next to him. "I guess I'll give it my best shot." She lowered herself down to the floor and then pushed back up. "One!" she collapsed onto the floor. "_UGH_, I'm done! Go on without me, Natsu. It's okay! I just need a twenty minute break is all!"

"Aw c'mon! I know you can do more than that!" Natsu jumped to his feet. "And that's not all! After the pushups we gotta do six hundred jumping jacks!"

"_Six hundred_?" Lucy gaped up at him. "I can't even count that high!"

"We'll ballpark it," Natsu started jumping. "Let's go! We gotta stay energetic, right?" He bent and grabbed her hands. "Up! Let's do it!"

Lucy let him drag her to her feet, groaning. "Ugh! Okay, fine! Lemme take a whack at this training regime. I gotta get pythons as big as yours right?"

"Let's not go crazy now," Natsu waved his hand. "It'll take a lot more than two hundred pushups to get your noodles on my level."

"Shut up!"

Loke smiled as he watched them from across the room. He crossed his arms and leaned against the pedestal in the center of his cage. Leave it to Lucy to ignore her own suffering to cheer up her friends. How did she do it? Cheering up the mopey dragon slayer ought to be impossible at this point, and yet, almost every night, she got him laughing.

It should be impossible.

But Lucy never did care to let others decide whether or not she was allowed to be happy.

Loke covered his eyes with his hand.

He was such a failure. His celestial spirit mage was in danger and he was absolutely useless. He couldn't even return home to save her the worry she felt from having him witness her torture. He couldn't even do that…

Loke pushed his sunglasses up and wiped the tears that formed in his eyes. He cleared his throat and watched Lucy and Natsu do jumping jacks. The motion caused the knot on Lucy's sheet unravel and her coverage slipped down to the floor.

Lucy shrieked and knocked Natsu back with a crushing kick. He went flying as she dropped to her knees and pulled the fabric back up around her chest, screaming at Natsu the entire time.

"Don't look! Pervert!"

Loke smiled and chuckled softly. He would have faith in his friends. That's all he could do at that point.

He froze as a pulse shot down his spine. His eyes widened and he looked towards the two Fairy Tail mages in the cage across the room.

Lucy had gone serious, sweat lining her brow. Her eyes were centered on the floor but he could feel it…

Lucy's magic power. It was flowing across the space between them, sinking through the glass and into him. He stared, gape mouthed at her for long seconds. How was she doing that? How was she transferring her magic through the cages? And why was she giving it to _him_?

He gulped and covered his eyes again.

"Stupid…" he muttered. "You stupid idiot…" He stared over his fingers at her, moisture rising in his eyes. "You really think I can leave you?"

"C'mon, Lucy, now we gotta run laps around the cage!" Natsu recovered from her attack and grabbed her hands.

Drained from the magic transfer, Lucy was slow to climbing to her feet, but she didn't disappoint the cheerful dragon slayer as she followed him in quick laps around the small room, whining the entire time.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry this chapter is so stinkin' short. I would add to it but... I've come down with the illness and am slightly drugged up on medication. I'm on the verge of passing out and thinking isn't really working out too well. I want to keep up the 'chapter a day or so' thing so I'm updating anyway... even though I didn't proofread... oh Jesus protect me. I hope the spelling and grammar isn't atrocious. I hope it makes sense too. Probably not, right? Well, I promise to be sober of over the counter drowsy cough syrup tomorrow and will hopefully spit out a much better chapter. I might even come back and edit this one when the letters stop blurring and dancing across the screen. Who knows though. I'm a rolling stone. What's in the past is sometimes not worth messing with. We will see. Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing and following and favoriting all the other things that send me an email every day. It really lights up my life. **

**-Moo**

Chapter 17

Two hours after the lights had gone out, Lucy gently lifted Natsu's arm off of her waist and slid from the bed. She set his arm down on the mattress once more, careful not to stir him awake. Not that the care was necessary. The slumbering dragon slayer was down for the count with no intentions of waking.

Lucy tiptoed across the cage to the wall. She peered through the glass at the smaller cage on the other side of the room. It was too dark to distinguish details, but she could make out the faint outline of the box and the lone shadowy figure inside.

"Loke?" she whispered, unknowing if he could hear her or if he was even awake to begin with.

Turns out, he had been waiting.

"What do you think you're doing, Lucy?" Loke's voice was low and terse.

"Did you receive it?" She pressed her palms against the glass. "My magic?"

"Yes, I received it. Take it back!"

"Is it enough? To send you back to the celestial spirit world I mean."

"_Take it back, _Lucy. You need it more than I do—"

"What use is it to me?" Lucy sighed.

"Where did you learn to transfer magic like that anyway?" Loke crossed his arms over his chest.

"I didn't learn it from anybody. Loke please… stop wasting time and just return to the celestial spirit world. You need to regenerate your power and rest."

Loke pushed away from the pedestal and stood at the glass wall, "Damn it, Lucy! Don't play around with this! For a mage, magic energy and life energy go hand in hand! If you deplete too much of your magic energy, you could cause drastic damage! And the type of technique you pulled today is especially dangerous in that it pulls from the stores of magic deep within the heart that you can't usually use until cases of extreme desperation!"

"Loke… I'm fine."

"You are not fine, Lucy!" Loke paced the cage. "Why do you always do this? Stop worrying about other people for once and worry about yourself! You are not okay! You are in trouble and—"

"Leo the lion."

Loke clamped his mouth shut and stared at her shadow.

"As the celestial spirit mage that holds your contract, I demand that you return to the celestial spirit world and await my call."

He gulped and cursed under his breath. Could he really just leave her? He toyed around with the magic power pulsing through his veins. He called for Regulus but the light didn't come, as he suspected it wouldn't. The only thing he _could _do with the gift Lucy granted him was to return home.

"Loke…" her voice came gently. "Thank you for rushing to save me. I'm sorry I got us stuck in such a desperate situation. I promise I will be okay. I promise I will find a way to get both me and Natsu out of here safely. Now please… _please_, will you put my mind at ease and return?"

Loke sighed and leaned his forehead on the glass. "There's no talking you out of this?"

"I won't take my magic power back, so you might as well not let it go to waste. Besides, by tomorrow I'll have regenerated whatever I gave away. So please… take it and go. Wait for my call."

He pushed away from the wall and nodded.

"I'll go. Thank you Lucy. Stay safe."

"I will…"

Light enveloped his body, illuminating the room just long enough for Loke to make out the fresh tear tracks down Lucy's cheeks as she watched him fade and then disappear completely.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Okay, I know I promised you guys that I wouldn't be drugged up to high hell when I wrote this chapter, but as fate goes... the illness that has befallen me has gotten a little worse. So I'm kind of... still totally high on drowsy syrup and warm chicken noodle soup from a thermos. Apologies. At least this one is a little longer than the last. And it has a little more action too. Although not much. When I finally get rid of the illness, I'll probably browse back through and actually do some editing, but I did read over this one before posting and didn't find too much to complain about, so there ya go. Again, thanks for reading and reviewing and all that good noise. And if I missed any vital errors in this chapter, sorry. I'll do better some day. Also, sorry it's so serious and so unlike the goofy carefree atmosphere of Fairy Tail. I swear it'll cheer up eventually. MAYBE. MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**Okay. Enjoy. Also spit me a review if you want. I like hearing from you guys. It makes my day ten shades brighter. Which sometimes hurts my tender eyes, so please, keep it down, will ya?**

**LOVE- Moo**

Chapter 18

Natsu was on guard. His severe gaze moved around the room slowly, paying special attention to the metal sheeting in the center of the cage. Lucy ate her rice serenely, the redness in her eyes almost completely gone. Immediately upon waking, Natsu had noticed the puffy evidence of her tears. But even after brutal questioning, she gave no explanation as to where they came from.

"Natsu, you should eat. While your arms are still free," she said, sniffing.

He paused at the glass and peered at the smaller cage across the room. "I just don't get it…" he muttered. "Where'd that jackass run off to?"

"I already told you," Lucy said, taking a sip of water from the pitcher. "He went home."

"But how? I thought that cage was preventing him from regenerating his power or whatever."

"Who knows? Maybe one of the other spirits somehow sent him more." Lucy sent a quick thank you to the heavens that the post cry evidence had hidden the deep bags under her eyes and pasty paleness of her clammy skin. Natsu seemed not to notice her strange exhaustion over the obvious proof of her crying.

"I'm gonna punch him in the face a hundred times for making you cry," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothin'."

"C'mon, eat before it's cold and you burn me to death trying to warm it up."

Natsu growled as he gave up the search of the reason for Lucy's sadness and stomped to the bed where she sat with the tray of food. He sat down with a pout and reached for a slice of toast, "I'm not even that hungry—"

The floor opened up and the ropes darted out and across the room, wrapping tightly around Natsu's arms and chest before he could even make contact with the bread.

He let out an angry yelp as they tugged him off of the bed and then dragged his writhing body to the center of the room.

"OH GREAT!" He roared. "NOW I'M GONNA STARVE."

"Calm down," Lucy grumbled as she lifted the tray and carried it over to him. She folded her legs under her as she sat and placed the tray on the floor. She picked up the toast Natsu had been reaching for and raised it up to his face. "Say aww."

He opened his mouth dejectedly, looking away. He bit off a massive bite and chewed, eyes darting back in her direction. He swallowed and said, "I hate this."

"Are you kidding?" she offered the toast again and he bit. "I love it. You look so silly being fed like a baby bird," she stuck her tongue out at him and winked.

"Baby birds get their food chewed up for them," he pointed out.

Lucy's cheeks flared red, "I'm not doing that."

"I didn't want you to."

He looked away again, lips pouting out.

She smiled softly and started to hum, trading out the toast for the water pitcher. Natsu allowed her to gently pour the liquid into his mouth and she set it down once more. He watched her for a minute as she hummed and spooned out rice for him.

"That song's got a nice tune to it," he said after a while.

She smiled up at him, "I think so too."

"What's the name of it?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. Like I said before… my mother used to sing it to me all the time, but I never knew what it was called or who wrote it…"

"Isn't that suspicious?"

She laughed, "Suspicious? No. Why would it be?"

"Dunno. Give me some of that apple, would ya?" He opened his mouth wide.

She chuckled and lifted the fruit to his teeth where he ripped into the waxy skin. Juice dripped down his chin and Lucy gently wiped at it. She absently licked it from her fingers. Natsu stared at her. Her cheeks flamed and she cleared her throat, looking away.

"I don't know why I just… it's just that it…"

The door of the room opened, drawing their attention. Azamin walked inside, eyes flicking to the smaller cage.

"Hm," he said. "It seems we had a jail break last night." His eyes fell on Lucy, but she avoided his gaze. "Interesting," he muttered and approached them.

Natsu twisted against his binds and slid between Lucy and the fear mage.

"Don't come a step closer, dillweed," he growled.

He sighed and swished the wall to the side, stepping up into the cage. "As I suspected, your broken record whining has become annoying." He looked to Lucy, "If you don't want your friend to get hurt, come to me now."

Lucy stood.

"Lucy just sit back and let me take him!" Natsu tried to stand but the ropes yanked him down on his back.

"Natsu, please stop pushing yourself so hard," she said as she walked around him and approached Azamin. "For my friends, I'll gladly take all of the responsibility."

Azamin slowly untied the knot of her sheet, eyes over her shoulder on the furious dragon slayer hurling threats and writhing against his ropes. He grinned and dropped the sheet, taking Lucy's hand.

"Come, my pet," he cooed, pulling her through the opening in the cage. He closed the wall behind him and turned, pulling a length of rope from his pocket. He tied her hands together and gently stroked her jaw.

Lucy looked away.

Azamin backed away, reaching for the wooden chair he used as his throne for the show. He sat down and crossed his legs, a smile firmly etched onto his face.

"Today will be different," he decided. "I'd much rather not tire myself out with using so much magic… so I will require a special kind of entertainment." His eyes slowly dragged along Lucy's nude form.

She gulped.

"Bastard!" Natsu roared. "Lucy's body doesn't belong to you! Where do you get the idea that you can order it around?"

Azamin chuckled, leaning forward on his knee. "I don't think we are on the same page here. I just wanted my little canary to sing me a song. What were _you _thinking of, I wonder?"

"Y-you…" Natsu gritted his teeth, "If that's all then just say that from the start you freak!" He jerked on his ropes. "Why do you gotta be all dark and vague about it?"

Lucy twisted her wrists nervously, "S-sing? I… I'm afraid I don't know any songs…"

"Don't lie," Azamin snapped. "I hear you hum to _him _almost every day."

Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"I… I don't know the words to that song. I just know the tune."

Azamin's gaze flicked to the cage and suddenly Natsu let out a surprised holler, slamming down on his chest on the floor. He panted and then let loose a soul shaking shout.

"Natsu!" Lucy ran to the cage and pressed her hands against the glass. "Natsu!"

"Oops," Azamin chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his sinister smile. "I seem to have forgotten the amplification magic again…"

"Natsu…" Lucy watched in horror as he twisted on the floor, screaming, tears streaming down his cheeks as his face distorted in fear and pain.

"My, how do I turn off my magic again? Hmmm…" Azamin shrugged, "I'm sure it will come back to me soon."

Lucy gulped, eyes filling with moisture. "S-stop. Stop please."

"What's that?" Azamin cupped his ear and turned it her direction.

"Please!" she shrieked, facing him. "Please stop! I'll do it! I'll do anything! Just leave him alone!"

He grinned and Natsu's screams cut off.

Lucy sobbed, forehead pressed against the glass. Natsu slowly rolled into a somewhat sitting position, leaning heavily on the taut rope. "L-Lucy… you don't have to do anything." He coughed, voice hoarse from his screams. "I'm fine. I barely even felt it."

Lucy rubbed her nose on her arm, sitting back from the glass.

"C'mon," Natsu said gently, still out of breath. "It's fine, isn't it? That's your mom's special song. There's no need to give it up. Especially not for a loser like me, right?"

She bit her lip, "Natsu…"

"I'm fine," he said. "Just calm down and stay quiet, okay? His magic is nothing. I can take it."

Lucy stared at his cheerful grin, guilt enveloping her. This was all her fault. There's no way she'd let him feel another decibel of pain. Ever.

She gave him the most cheerful smile she could muster, "It's okay. I'll sing."

"But Lucy—"

"It's fine, isn't it?" her chin quivered. "As long as _you're_ here to listen, it doesn't matter _who_ hears."

"Lucy…"

She stood on shaky legs and backed away from the cage. She wiped the wetness from her cheeks and turned to Azamin, "I'll sing my song," she announced. "But it's not for you."

He grinned.

"Hey, asshole!" Natsu shouted, drawing the mage's attention. The pink haired dragon slayer's face was twisted in rage, eyebrows pulled low over his burning eyes. "You better pay attention." His eyes flickered to Lucy, "This song is important."

"Is that so?" he chuckled. "I look forward to it."

Lucy cleared her throat, wiping her tears one last time before closing her eyes and starting to sing.

"_Letters from the rain. Of words that never came,_" she opened her eyes and stared at Natsu. "_I only see the stars in your eyes…_"


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: Wow, I'm so sorry it's going so slow. I promise I'll write something intense eventually. Also, no, the three lines of the song in the last chapter that also appeared a while ago on the fishing trip are not from a real song. I made them up. And no, I didn't write the rest of the song because believe it or not, I'm absolutely awful at that kind of thing. I cringe just reading those three shorties that I did write. And while I didn't really model it after any particular song, I suppose the song that I had in mind that kind of went with the tune in my head was 'The Chain' sung by Ingrid Michaelson. So if you are the kind of person that wants something physical to put that with... go ahead and look that song up. Again, thanks thanks thanks. Hope I can keep your interest going for a long while. Keep your eyes open for more!**

**Love-Moo**

Chapter 19

"Sir… please, we have to intervene," Loke pleaded.

The celestial spirit king stroked his moustache, "I'm afraid we can't do that."

"But—"

"Leo, we have _rules _to abide by. In the past, I've looked the other way as you and Virgo have jumped from world to world on your own accord without the permission of your mage, but there are some rules I just _can't _break."

"She's in _danger_!" Loke threw his arms out. "If we don't save her she'll—"

"You've spoken to Virgo, haven't you?"

Loke gritted his teeth and didn't answer.

"What did she tell you?"

"Tch," Loke clenched his fists and looked away. "Our keys are linked to that cage. No matter who goes, we'll all be locked away and sapped of our magic power, unable to regenerate it."

"And you still think you can be of service to her?"

Loke squeezed his eyes shut, "I—"

"If you go back," the celestial spirit king leaned forward, "you will be nothing but a hindrance to her. She will deplete all of her magic power once again just to send you home. And then what? You'll return once more?"

"Then I won't go," Loke decided. "I'll tell Pisces, or Libra. And they can tell Yukino the situation and she can go—"

"Where?"

"Ugh!" Loke pulled at his red hair. "There has to be a way to find out her location! We can ask Crux—"

"Crux only knows the things within the limits of the knowledge of celestial spirits and their keyholders. If Lucy doesn't even know her own location, neither will Crux."

"So then what are we supposed to do then?"

The celestial spirit king smiled gently, "The only thing we _can _do is to trust in our old friend. Her strength will overcome all odds, I'm sure of it."

"But—"

"Go rest, old friend. Await your keyholder's call. It will come. I swear it. And then this nightmare will be nothing but a distant memory."

Loke bowed his head, "Yes Sir."

* * *

><p>Lucy was having a hard time keeping up Natsu's intense eye contact. Her cheeks were on fire as the obnoxious fire breather stared deeply into her gaze.<p>

"Uhm, Natsu?" she said. "Do you mind?"

He narrowed his eyes.

She sighed and glanced away but he growled at her until she met his stare again.

"Why do we have to stare at each other like this?" she whined.

"I'm checkin'!" he said.

"Checking _what_?"

"This is a secret art of dragon slaying that I know," he explained.

"I-is that so? And what exactly _is _this secret art? Making your friends feel really uncomfortable for long periods of time?"

"It's fire dragon understanding."

She blinked at him, "Ehh?"

"By looking deep into the eyes of someone close to me I can understand their feelings and know what to do to make them happy."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "I don't think that's a secret art…"

"Sure it is. But it'll only work if you keep up eye contact! C'mon! Stop looking away!" he poked her cheek indignantly.

She reestablished contact again, "Uhm, alright. But can I ask a question?"

"Yeah. What is it, Lucy?"

She sighed, "Is it really necessary to be lying in bed for it?"

"Is there something wrong with being comfortable as I stare into your soul?"

"There's nothing comfortable about this." She tucked her hands under her left cheek. "Why are you trying to see into my soul anyway?"

"I already told you. To understand your feelings and know what to do to make you happy," his staring intensified.

She smiled, "You don't need to do that."

"Yeah I do."

"Why?"

"Cause you're my friend, and it's my duty to be sure you're happy. That's why. Duh," he stuck his tongue out and poked her face with his finger again, all the while maintaining aggressive eye contact.

"What makes you think I'm not already happy?" she cocked an eyebrow.

He didn't say anything for a long minute. She started to wonder if he had even heard her over his severe concentration when he finally answered.

"How could you be happy in a place like this? In a situation like this?" he pouted his lips.

She smiled, "I'm with you, aren't I?"

"A lot of good _I _am. All I get to do is sit around and watch as you're tortured. Then afterwards you work so hard to cheer _me _up when it should be the other way around…"

She poked him on the tip of the nose, "Only 'cause you're always so mopey, Hothead."

"Only 'cause I'm so useless and I'm not used to feeling this way and…"

"Boop." She poked him again.

"And you're always the one gettin' hurt and all and…"

"Boop."

He poked her nose back, "Boop."

"Boop."

"_BOOP._"

Lucy giggled and reached up to ruffle Natsu's messy pink hair, "You're such an idiot."

He finally broke their eye contact, momentarily rolling onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. He nodded slowly.

"Did your fire dragon understanding work?" she teased, nudging his arm with her elbow playfully.

"Think so," he said. He rolled onto his side again and reached out. His arms slid around her and pulled her close. He tucked her head under his chin and hugged her tight, one arm latched firmly around her waist, and the other rubbing slow circles on her back. Lucy gulped and blinked rapidly to ward off the tears that rose unbidden in her eyes. After a few minutes of struggling however, she finally gave in and buried her face in his throat.

"Maybe that secret art isn't as big of a joke as I thought it was," she muttered and hugged him back.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: Oh my God I'm so sorry it's so short. Holy crap. It's tiny. It's a micro chapter. A teaser, if you will. Please don't hate me.**

**Love-Moo**

Chapter 20

Strength was a terrifying thing.

Azamin tied her hands together and pulled her gently from the cage. As her energy returned, Lucy's mind turned a dangerous direction.

_I don't want to be here another second_.

Natsu was shouting his complaints, threatening Azamin in terrible ways. Kieran was standing by the door, arms crossed over his chest, lone blue eye turned to the ground as he scowled. Azamin was lighthearted and cheerful, tugging on her ropes with shoulders thrown back.

And Lucy… Lucy was sick of it all.

Azamin stopped her and turned, a smirk lighting his lips. Lucy stared at it momentarily before he took her chin and turned her face up. She met his eyes and his smirk grew to a grin.

"That's a lovely look you have there, my pet," he said, stroking her jaw and then trailing his fingers through her blonde hair. "It's like I can _taste_ your anger." He licked his lips, "_Delicious._"

She jerked her face away, "Disgusting."

He laughed, cupping her cheeks with both of his hands. "That's the hotheaded attitude I love to see!"

She glared at him, "_Fuck off_."

"You heard her, asshole!" Natsu yelled. "Fuck off!"

Azamin released her and stared over her bare shoulder at the raging dragon slayer. "Tch," he narrowed his eyes. "I grow tired of your squealing." He waved a hand in his direction and Natsu let out a shout, jerking to his back.

"STOP!" Lucy whipped her hands up towards Azamin's face, but he caught the rope connecting them and yanked them back down.

"Getting feisty, are we?" His grin turned maniacal. "_Perfect_."

Natsu's screams intensified behind her.

Lucy's heart raced in her chest. She was done. She was _done_. She couldn't take another _millisecond _of this torture! She needed to do something. Over the past several weeks she had been nothing but a punching bag for this evil man and she… she…

She _snapped_.

Lucy spat in his face.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Warren, any news?" Erza asked.

He lowered his fingers from his temple and sighed, "Absolutely nothing. Sorry, Erza."

"Damn it!" Gray slammed his fist down on the table he sat at.

"Gray, please," Erza rubbed her eyes. "We need to stay calm."

"How can we stay calm?" he pushed away from the table. "It's been _two months_! They could be _anywhere _now! They could be—"

"Don't say it!" Erza whirled towards him. The guild fell silent as everyone turned to stare at the scarlet haired mage. Her eyes were misty as she glowered at Gray. "Don't you _dare _say it, Gray. Lucy and Natsu are alive. We are going to _find them_!"

"Erza…"

"She's right, Gray," Macao drew his attention. He leaned against the bar with his arms crossed over his chest. "No matter how long it takes… we'll find those two."

"Yep," Wakaba nodded, cigar hanging out the corner of his mouth. "It took seven years to find you guys when Tenrou Island disappeared. If we have to… we'll wait another seven, even _ten _years."

"No." A gravelly voice echoed over the guild hall. Everyone turned to see Master Makarov standing on top of the railing of the second floor. He stared down at everyone, hands clasped behind his back. "With how old and frail I am these days, I don't think I'll last another ten years. And I swear to find those brats before I bite the dust. What are all of you doing in here? My children are in danger! You all should be out there searching! No more will we sit around and _wait_ for good news!" He thrust his hand up in the air, index finger pointing towards the ceiling, thumb out. "We are _Fairy Tail_! _AND IF WE HAVE TO, WE'LL TRAVEL TO THE ENDS OF EARTHLAND TO FIND OUR COMRADES AND BRING THEM BACK HOME SAFELY!_"

The guild filled with roars of agreement. Mages split into their teams and promptly left on their search. Erza and Gray met with Wendy, Carla, and Happy near the door.

"No more waiting," Erza said. "Natsu and Lucy are our closest friends. If we can't find them, then no one can."

"Aye Sir," Happy said, voice soft.

"Happy," Erza patted his head. "I'm glad you've returned to us. I don't want you to worry another second. We are going to find them. I promise you."

Happy sniffed and cheered slightly, "Aye!"

"Let's go," Gray said. "I think that flame brain has had enough alone time with our Lucy."

"Agreed," Erza said. "He's being quite selfish, don't you think? He really should share his friends more."

"Alright," Wendy clapped, "Let's go find them!"

* * *

><p>Azamin had gone eerily silent and still. Natsu's screams faded and the dragon slayer slowly rolled to his knees, panting. Kieran straightened away from the wall he leaned on, lone blue eye going wide. Lucy wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist.<p>

Everyone watched as Azamin slowly, with shaking hands, reached up and wiped the spit from his cheek. He turned his burning green eyes to Lucy.

"You…" he clenched his teeth, "_filthy, disgusting animal_!" His fist flashed out, making contact with Lucy's chin and sending her stumbling to the floor.

"_LUCY!_" Natsu yanked on his ropes.

Azamin winded back and sent a crushing kick against her ribs, forcing a sharp cry from her. He pulled back and kicked again and again.

"We could've kept it clean!" he shrieked, face reddening, silver hair tugging from the leather tie at the base of his neck and sticking to the sweat dripping down his throat. "You disgusting trash!" He turned and grabbed the wooden chair. He thrust it to the ground and ripped off a leg. He faced her again, brandishing the blunt weapon. "Now we can _never _go back!" He struck her with the wooden leg, leaving thick red welts on her back and arms.

"_STOP IT!_" Natsu frantically fought against his binds. "GOD FUCKING DAMN IT! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU BASTARD!"

Azamin leaned down and grabbed a fistful of Lucy's blonde hair, yanking her up. She let out a cry as he pulled her to her feet and shoved her forward. He pushed her against the glass cage, hand still knotted in her hair as he lifted his weapon and slashed it against the back of her thighs. The splintered wood cut deep into her skin and angry red droplets of blood slid down her pale skin.

"_FINE!_" Azamin screamed, yanking her head back so he could see into her face. "_FINE_! You want to get _DIRTY_? I'll get dirty, you _BITCH!_"

Kieran took large, swift steps towards them, "_Azamin. Stop right there_."

"Shut up!" Azamin swung his arm towards the other man and he immediately dropped to his knees. He clutched either side of his head and let loose a terrified bellow.

"K-Kieran…" Lucy stuttered.

"You shut up too!" he ripped at her hair and then released it. He hit her again with the wooden leg and then dropped it. He forced her shoulders forward, pulling her hips back against his groin. He reached around and grabbed her breasts painfully. "Is this what you want? Should I dirty you even further?"

"_RAHHHHHH_!" Natsu pulled so hard on the ropes that near the floorboards, they started to fray. "_BASTAAAAAAAARRRRRRRD!_"

"_I SAID SHUT UP_!" Azamin slammed his palm against the glass.

Natsu's eyes rolled back in his head and he choked. He fell onto his chest on the metal floor, letting loose a bloodcurdling scream of fear.

Azamin wiped his fingers against the blood trailing down Lucy's thighs and then smeared it down her stomach. He bit her earlobe and hissed, "There's no saving you now. You'll die the dirty bitch you've lived your entire life as."

Natsu writhed and turned his head towards them, panting heavily, "L…Lu… Lucy…"

"If I do…" Lucy whispered, brown eyes hardening, "then so be it." She jerked her head back, cracking it against his forehead. He called out and straightened away from her. Lucy whipped her left elbow back, smashing it into his nose, breaking it with a resounding crack. He stumbled back, blood dripping down over his gaping mouth. Lucy turned slowly, back straight, shoulders out, eyes dead.

"I'll gladly die," she said. "But you're coming with me." She ripped the rope connecting her hands and kicked out. Her foot swung across his cheek, sending him stumbling even further back.

Azamin waved his hand at her, "I'll cast you into hell before you can touch me!"

Lucy ignored him and advanced. She kicked him again, heel crushing into his chest and knocking him onto his back on the floor.

"Wh-what's going on?" he waved his hand again. "Why isn't my magic working?"

She smashed her foot against his face. "I _refuse_ to be scared of you another second!"

"H-how—"

Brilliant light filled the room and an explosion sent glass soaring.

Azamin jerked his head to the side.

Loke stepped down from the now shattered cage. He grinned, "You called, Lucy?"

"How—" Azamin's eyes were giant, bugging out of his bloody face as he stared at the massacred cage.

"Loke," Lucy's voice quivered slightly. "I'll leave Natsu's escape to you."

"Understood," he said. He went to the larger cage and unleashed Regulus on the glass.

Lucy's knees knocked together and she inhaled shakily. _No… not now. Just keep it up for a few more minutes. _The exhaustion was taking over. She had forced all of her magic energy into Loke's arrival, resulting in the magic explosion at the cage's base. She breathed a sigh of relief that it had actually worked… but now she was in trouble. Her head was swimming. Her vision was going blurry. If Azamin found out how weak she had become, he would instantly pounce. It was a battle just keeping Loke's gate open.

Loke was having no luck with the cage.

"Lucy," he called over his shoulder. "Regulus isn't powerful enough. There has to be another way."

"The ropes…"

Loke turned to Kieran. He pulled himself up onto his elbows. "There's a room next door where the ropes lead. If you sever them—" He fell back to the floor, screaming.

Loke didn't waste a second. He ran from the room.

Lucy glowered down at Azamin, who pointed a finger in Kieran's direction, rage etched into his face.

"Leave him alone!" Lucy pulled her leg back and delivered a swift kick to his throat.

Azamin caught her foot. She gasped as he shoved her back and, unable to keep her balance, she tumbled to the floor. Her exhaustion won over and she felt Loke's gate close.

"_No,_" she panted.

Azamin towered over her. He knelt between her legs and held her throat in one of his hands, cutting off her oxygen. "_Too late_," he laughed. "You were _too late_! Now I have you…" he moaned excitedly. "Now I have you and your friend will watch you die from inside that cage…"

"Think again," Lucy growled.

"What?" Azamin tightened his hand around her throat.

"Oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh—"

Azamin jerked his head up, eyes wide.

Natsu stood in the center of the cage, engulfed in flames. His skin had taken on a scaly texture and his onyx eyes glowed in fiery rage. Azamin released Lucy and climbed unsteadily to his feet. He stumbled backwards.

"N-no…" He held his hand up shakily, casting his fear magic on the dragon slayer, but it was too late for him.

"_FIRE DRAGON'S…"_ Natsu held his flaming hands out wide. "_BRILLIANT FLAME_!" He brought his hands together in tremendous clap, causing an explosion that instantly shattered all four walls of the glass cage. Lucy rolled to her stomach and covered her head as shards rained down around her.

"No!" Azamin shielded his face and then turned as if to flee the room.

But Natsu was on him in an instant. The dragon slayer flew from confinement and grabbed the back of his shirt, yanking him back.

Natsu turned the writhing fear mage to face him and promptly gripped his throat in a flaming hand. Azamin's screams intensified as the fire licked at his skin. His screams faded as he stared into the eyes of his captor.

Tears were streaming down Natsu's face. His teeth were bared, breath heaving in and out as he squeezed the man's throat.

"St-stop…" he pleaded. "I won't touch her again—"

"_DAMN RIGHT YOU WON'T!_" Natsu lifted him higher until his toes just barely scraped the floor. "For months you've laughed as she screamed…" he squeezed tighter and Azamin choked. He scrabbled at his arm, digging his nails in, kicking his feet back and forth.

"P-please…" his eyes rolled back in his head.

"_WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR MERCY?_" Natsu threw him to the floor. "_Did you grant Lucy mercy when she begged_?"

He knelt over him and punched him in the face. _"WHY SHOULD I FORGIVE YOU?_" His fists pounded again and again. He hesitated, "I know in the past I've had a hard time keeping my promises. And it's led to some trouble with me and my friends…"

Lucy hid her face in her arms as the tears started flowing.

"But I've made a vow," Natsu ignited his hand and held it over Azamin's face, casting shadows over his features. "I'm never gonna break a promise again. And I've promised you every day these past two months that I was going to kill you."

Azamin struggled against his tight grip, "No! Stop! I didn't do anything wrong!"

Natsu's face flashed with fury, "This is for Lucy. Are you prepared?"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Natsu sat at Lucy's side, hands on his ankles. He watched her body quiver as she sobbed into her arms.

Kieran climbed to his feet, wiping at the sweat on his brow. He avoided looking in the direction of Azamin's inert body as he stood and turned towards the door.

They had done it. They had done what he had failed to do all those years ago. He guessed their bond must be stronger than his and… He gulped and left the room.

Natsu noticed the eye patch man's retreat, but didn't bother chasing. There were more important things to take care of at the moment.

"Hey Lucy," he leaned over and patted her back. "You alright?"

She made an incoherent sobbing complaint but nothing more.

"Hey Lucy," he tugged on her hair. "Speak to me, will ya?"

She turned her face towards the far wall.

He pouted his lips out and then slid closer to her. He reached out, grabbing her arm with one hand and her waist with his other. He turned her over and immediately pulled her into his lap before she could escape.

"Natsu!" she complained, voice nasally. "Don't touch me!"

"Shut up," he demanded, stilling her struggling by wrapping his arms firmly around her waist and pulling her close to his chest.

She gave a halfhearted twist and then settled down, leaning her head on his shoulder in defeat. He gave her a squeeze and rested his chin on her hair. They sat quietly for a moment, Lucy's sniffs the only sound in the eerily tranquil room.

Lucy's mind raced and soon the tears were falling down her cheeks again. She turned her face against Natsu's throat and latched onto his shoulders.

"Hey Luce," he said quietly. "You're not hurt too much, right?"

"I'm sorry Natsu," she whispered in reply.

"Huh? What for?"

"What do you mean, _what for_?" she exclaimed, writhing in his grasp suddenly. "_For everything!_ I'm such a terrible friend and it's my fault that you had to go through all of this and that you had to…" her eyes fell on Azamin's body and she quickly looked away.

Natsu gently shifted on the floor so that the fear mage's body was directly behind him and out of sight.

"Don't think another second about it," he said, shoving her not so gently back against his chest.

She sniffed and leaned her head back to stare into his face. "Looks like you had to come to my rescue again after all…"

"What are you talking about, Loopy?" he smiled tenderly. "You really saved my ass. If I didn't have you here, I never would've made it."

"Whatever," she mumbled. All I did was piss him off and kick him a few times. I still got caught in the end and had to be saved."

"That was nothing," he said quietly. "It was you that protected me all this time. And still had the energy to cheer me up at the end of the day when I just wanted to quit. You kept me sane and even made me laugh and smile and forget where I was. If you weren't here with me…" he leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, a small smile on his lips. "I'd be lost. Thank you Lucy. For being my strength."

Lucy's vision blurred and she slid her fingers up to wipe the fresh tears away.

"S-stupid," she murmured. "That's what I'm here for."

Natsu grinned and squeezed her, rubbing his cheek on the top of her head.

Kieran opened the door just as Natsu's hand slid down and grabbed a handful of Lucy's rear end.

She was up in a flash, whipping her hand towards his face in a ferocious punch. "Natsu you _pervert_!"

Natsu flew onto his back, arms spread wide on the floor on either side as she scampered off of his lap.

"Aw, come on, Lucy!" he lifted his head off of the ground and glowered at her.

"_Don't look_!" she shrieked. "I'm _naked_!"

"You've been naked this entire time!"

"Doesn't give you the right to ogle me, pervert! Fiend!"

Kieran shook his head. "How the hell do you two _do _that?"

The two Fairy Tail mages turned to stare at the man. He had fabric draped over his arm.

"Do what?" Natsu sat up, brows lowered suspiciously.

Kieran approached, "Fall into this routine of careless, lighthearted banter as if everything that happened before didn't actually… happen."

Lucy and Natsu glanced at each other and then away.

"That's what friends are for," Lucy said softly. "They take all of the bad and make it disappear. Regardless of whether that bad was in your heart… or thrust upon you by an outside source."

Natsu examined the contents in the man's arms. His eyes were drawn immediately to a corner of white, scaly fabric.

"My scarf!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

"Oh, yeah," Kieran dumped the clothes next to Lucy. "I went and got these…"

Natsu and Lucy quickly dressed in the clothes they wore the day they were kidnapped.

Lucy hugged herself and let out a tremendous sigh of relief, "Ah! You have no idea how great it feels to be dressed again!"

"I dunno," Natsu examined his one sleeved jacket. "I kinda miss free ballin' it."

"Please don't ever say that again," Lucy scowled at him. She turned to Kieran. "Thank you."

He looked away, "For what? I've caused you nothing but pain these past two months."

"No," she said. "You were kind to me. Thank you."

Natsu approached the man in the eye patch. They stared each other down for a few seconds before Natsu delivered a fast punch to his jaw. Kieran stumbled backwards, clutching his face with both hands, groaning softly.

"That's for watching Lucy suffer and not doing anything to help her," Natsu said. He stepped up to him and offered his hand, cheerful grin stretching across his face. Kieran stared at his hand warily for long seconds before taking it. They shook and Natsu said, "And this is for treating her well when I couldn't."

Lucy smiled. "What will you do now, Kieran?"

He dropped Natsu's hand and looked away, "I'll turn myself in to the military."

"What? Why?"

He sighed in exasperation, "I helped Azamin do unthinkable things. I need to repent."

"So go to church," Natsu suggested. "There's no need to turn yourself in to the military."

"The things I've done can't be done away just because I pray for forgiveness," he said.

"So, but it'll make you feel better, won't it? Then you can go on living your life. Find friends like mine and be happy. Like me," he grinned joyfully, cocking his head to the side.

"I don't deserve—"

"Kieran," Lucy drew his attention. "There are other girls that Azamin captured, aren't there?"

"Yes. I was about to go free them after I brought you your clothes."

She smiled and walked over to him on shaky, unsteady legs. "They're scared, lost, and confused. They need someone to help them find home."

He stared at her for a moment and then glanced towards the door. "I suppose… I could do that…"

Lucy wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight for a moment before stepping back. "Thank you."

He sighed exasperatedly and mumbled, "You remind me of her."

"Who?"

He glanced into her eyes. "Riata. The woman Azamin took from me several years ago." He looked away again, "She was always finding ways to cheer me up." He gestured at Natsu, "Hey, dragon slayer…" his eye flicked to Lucy and then back. "Keep her close. You never know when someone will try to snatch her away."

"Nobody's gonna do that," Natsu assured him. "I'll be sure of that."

Heat flared in Lucy's cheeks. Kieran leaned down and pressed his lips gently to her forehead before turning and leaving the room.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Maybe I should look up north again," Happy said.

"I don't think we should split up anymore," Erza replied.

"She's right, Happy," Carla put her paw on his shoulder. "It's best if we stick together from now on."

"And you've already combed the entire north half of Fiore," Gray scratched the back of his head. "They're probably not up there."

Wendy turned her face left and right, nose sniffing.

"Do you really think we're gonna find them?" Happy said quietly. "It's been so long and…"

"Of course we are," Erza smiled gently at the blue cat. "We—"

"Guys!" Wendy suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone turned to her.

Her eyes were wide, hands up. "I think… I think I can smell them!"

"_What_?" everyone shouted simultaneously. They bombarded the little blue haired girl. "_Where_?"

She pushed through them and lifted her nose to the sky.

"There!" she pointed down a beaten path off the side of the road.

"Let's go!" Happy's wings appeared and he took off down the path, calling, "_Natsu! Lucy! _Where are you!"

* * *

><p>"Sorry Natsu," Lucy said.<p>

"Don't worry about it," he answered.

Lucy leaned against his back, arms around his neck. He hooked his arms under her thighs and carried her slowly over the overgrown forest path.

Lucy pressed her face against the back of his neck and sighed, "Looks like I used way too much magic power. My legs are like pudding."

"I said don't worry about it," he said. "I need to catch up on my exercise anyway after sitting around in that cage all day for two months. At this rate, Gray is gonna pass me up. I can't let that ice bastard think he's better than me for a minute!"

She smiled, "I can't wait to see everyone again."

"Me too. I can't wait to _eat_ again! Man the food that dirtbag fed us was straight up _nasty_!" he shook his head. "First thing I'm gonna do when I get back is stuff my face until I can't eat a single thing more. Then I'm gonna stuff it some more."

"You're gonna throw it all up."

"Good! Then I'll have room for even _more_!"

She giggled, "I can't wait to take a nice hot bath and sleep in my own bed."

"And to see Happy! Oh man, I bet he missed us big time."

"I bet everyone is so worried about us…" Lucy's voice softened.

"So we should probably hurry up and—"

"_LUCY! NATSU!_"

The two bedraggled Fairy Tail mages jerked their heads up towards the sound of the shout.

Happy, followed by Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Carla came bounding down the path ahead of them, waving their arms frantically.

"E-everyone!" Lucy sat up on Natsu's back.

Natsu bounced Lucy higher up on his back and broke out in a run towards their friends.

"Happy! I've missed ya Little Buddy!"

"Natsuuuuuuuu!" tears were firing out of the cat's eyes as he flew in the direction of his friend, paws out and ready for a hug.

The two groups collided. Tears were shed, hugs were given. Erza clutched Lucy to her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"We were so worried!"

Wendy hugged Lucy from behind, "Where have you two been? Are you okay?"

"We're fine," Lucy said through a clogged nose. She wiped her cheeks and pulled back from Erza. "I'm so happy to see you guys again."

Gray ruffled Natsu's pink hair as he hugged Happy tightly. "Glad to see you're still alive, flamebrain."

"Alive and tough as ever, ice princess!" Natsu grinned. "Should I prove it to you?"

"Maybe later," Gray matched his grin and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Where have you two been all this time?" Erza asked, finally releasing Lucy from her tight hold.

Natsu scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "Well… we were kinda in a tight spot for a while, but then…" he smiled at Lucy, "Lucy saved our asses, as usual."

"Lucy did?" Erza said. "But how did she do that?"

"What do you mean, how?" Natsu walked over to the blonde mage and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "This is _Lucy_ we're talking about!" he flashed his famous toothy grin.

Fresh tears filled Lucy's eyes and she quickly covered them up with shaky hands.

Natsu blanched, "What's wrong, Luce? Did I say something to upset you?"

"No," she quickly shook her head, dropping her hands again. "No, of course not." She smiled at him. "Thank you." She looked to everyone. "Thank you. I just love you all so much."

Everyone returned her smile and jumped in for a group hug.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So here's the thing. This is technically the end of this... arc. But, BUT... if you are disappointed and want more, you are in luck! Because I also want more. Which is perfect, because if you didn't notice, I kind of left a little easter egg in this story leading into another story. So yeah. There's that. I plan to continue it on, but am kind of in a dilemma. Not really a dilemma... just you know... wondering... should I keep adding chapters to this story... or should I start a new story and leave a note in the beginning saying like... "Yo, this story is a continuation of 'Her Strength' so if you haven't read that shit yet, you probably won't understand everything goin' on in this one. So check it out, bruh." I'm kind of leaning towards starting a new story with the note, although I would write a much better note than that, be assured. But I don't know. I think a new story would be good because the title and description would change since it won't be all about Lucy's strength anymore, ya dig? But then again... it might be a little too troublesome for someone to click on the new story, read that it's a sequel and then have to go find this one first and honestly, that's a lot of steps and who would want to go through the trouble? I know my laziness might be stretching the film of impossibility, but I honestly would probably click away if a story demanded too much of my effort. But, I'm trusting your opinion so that's why I'm writing this long rambly note here. Because you are the ones that actually matter... so please, let me know your opinion and whichever choice gets the most... votes?... will be what I do. Unless I think it over some more today and decide on my own instead.<strong>

**Reminder: the quicker you let me know your opinion, the quicker the new story will begin! So keep that in mind! If I don't decide by tomorrow, you might not get a new chapter for a few days/YEARS. Just kidding about the years. I think a week would be the most time I would wait to update. But still. A week is a long time in the fanfiction universe. So let me know fast!**

**Love-Moo**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"GUESS WHO'S BACK, BITCHES!" Natsu kicked the door open and burst into the guild hall.

Everyone erupted into cheers at the appearance of the fireball and the blushing blonde mage that followed shortly after.

"Today we drink to Natsu and Lucy!" Cana slurred, hugging a barrel.

Makarov took up more than half of the guild hall in his giant state, wrapping the two mages up in a crushing hug.

"_MY CHILDREN HAVE RETURNED HOME TO MEEEEE!_" tears flew from his eyes in torrents, splashing Wakaba and Macao at a nearby table.

"Aw, come on, Master," Wakaba shook out his doused cigar. "Why do you have to be so dramatic? We knew the brats would return to us eventually."

"_LET THIS OLD GEEZER CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF HIS BELOVED CHILDREN,_" Makarov roared, squeezing Natsu and Lucy until their bones were creaking.

Juvia smiled from her spot next to Gray at the counter, "While Juvia is glad her love rival is safe and unhurt, she is also slightly worried that she will soon make her move on Gray-sama, my love." She glanced up at him. "Promise Juvia you won't give in to her wiles!"

He rolled his eyes, "Lighten up, Juvia. Even if I was interested in Lucy, which I'm not, do you really think I'd stand a chance against…" He hesitated and then turned away. "Crap," he muttered. "It's true I'm not interested in Lucy in that way, but the mere thought of losing in any kind of competition with that guy…" he grumbled at the counter.

"Gray-sama?" Juvia clasped her hands together and watched him worriedly. "What are you talking about, my dearest? Juvia can't follow your rambling…"

Erza joined Laxus where he stood leaning against a pillar on the right side of the guild. She smiled and crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring his stance.

"It seems you were right," she said, watching as Makarov finally reverted to his tiny self and released Natsu and Lucy. Gray stomped over to the dragon slayer suddenly, yelling out a challenge as he stripped down to his boxers and Lucy escaped to join Levy.

Laxus huffed, "Sort of."

"How so?" she glanced at him.

He smiled crookedly. "I said Lucy'd be okay since she was with Natsu. It seems like it was the other way around this time though."

Erza nodded, turning her eyes on the celestial spirit mage as she laughed and hugged Lisanna. "She never ceases to amaze me."

Laxus grunted his agreement.

* * *

><p>The party raged on for hours. The guild hall was filled with laughter, singing, and drunken fistfights.<p>

"C'MON LUCY! SWING WITH ME!" Natsu pulled Lucy onto his lap, latching an arm around her waist as he pushed off of the second floor railing on the makeshift rope swing Jet and Droy had put together.

"NOOOOOOO!" she shrieked as they plummeted across the hall at a speed Lucy thought should be physically impossible for a rope swing to handle.

"They seem closer than ever," Mirajane observed cheerfully.

"You think so?" Lisanna asked, small smile on her lips.

"Definitely," Levy nodded. "Haven't you noticed how every hour Natsu will take a break from whatever fight he's involved with to go check on her?"

"He liiiiiiiiiiiikes her," Happy giggled behind his paws.

"It's true," Lisanna said. "Natsu was never a very… attentive person in the past… but he seems to be paying quite close attention to Lucy tonight."

"Not that we can blame him," Erza mused. "Something about her does seem… different."

"She's glowing," Wendy sighed, leaning on one elbow on the table, following Natsu and Lucy with her eyes as their swing slowly swayed to a stop. Lucy pounded her fists on Natsu's head until he released her and she let out a scream as she dropped from his lap down onto the side of a table, knocking it over and taking three chairs out along the way.

Elfman and Gray doubled over with laughter as Lucy struggled into a sitting position, shaking her fists at Natsu who still hung on the swing above her head.

"Do you think it's her magic power?" Mirajane wondered. "Loke told us earlier that she has gotten exceptionally powerful."

Erza nodded, "Yes, I heard what he said about her overloading the mage Azamin's magic spells which caused Loke's cage to explode. It's incredible. I've never heard of something like that happening before."

"Well…" Happy smiled. "This is _Lucy _we're talking about here. Since when has she ever let something _impossible _stop her?"

The girls stared at the blonde as Natsu dropped to her side and offered her a hand, cheerful grin taking up most of his face. She allowed him to pull her to her feet and even returned his grin. He suddenly pointed back up at the swing and started dragging her towards the stairs to the second floor again. Lucy whined and dug her heels into the floorboards.

Erza chuckled, "I don't know… She still hasn't been able to stop Natsu from dragging her into his stupid ideas."

The girls laughed. Lisanna said, "Well that's because that might be a little _too _impossible."

"Aye!" Happy sprouted his wings and flew to retrieve the swing for the dragon slayer and his captive on the second floor.

"It's nice to have them back," Mirajane said gently. "The guild wasn't the same without them."

"Aye," Wendy, Erza, Lisanna, and Levy all said.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Okay so I'm gonna fill you guys in on my decision. By the way, thanks to everyone that gave their opinions on the matter! My inbox was boomin'! Which was a total pick me up when I had to go to work and be miserable all day. So thanks thanks thanks! Also I'm really glad that everyone is excited for what's to come! Me too! **

**So anyway... I have two... "arcs" lined up and ready to be written. One arc can very easily just be smacked on to the end of this story because it pretty much follows directly after this chapter. So 'Her Strength' will continue on for a while. As for the second arc... I've decided to not worry about that until I get there. Heh, I know, that's bad planning and laziness, (kind of like government ammiright?) but I really just can't decide on what to do with that. In fact... that arc isn't even planned out all that well to begin with. The story with Azamin was pretty much well thought out before I even started writing it. And this next little bit is... sort of thought out. But the third is seriously just living on an idea. So we will see how THAT turns out... Either way, I'm excited to go through with it and I hope you guys like it! You are all really great and supportive and thanks so much for that! I never dreamed that anybody would really love my story as much as you guys claim to so this is exciting! Also, your support and great reviews are what keep me updating on a daily basis so you have yourselves to thank for that! Woo! Teamwork! For this being my first fanfiction, I think it's pretty successful so far. Also, for all of you NaLu fans waiting for something special, you're gonna have to wait patiently. ;) Don't you know the chase is the best part?**

**Love-Moo**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Her apartment was cold.

Lucy took a moment to stare around the room in silence. Everything was as it was when she left it. The desk was covered in blank pages. The couch's cushions were straight and a white towel was draped over one arm. The covers on the bed were ruffled and unmade. Everything was the same and yet somehow… different.

It was cold.

And empty.

And Lucy didn't want to be there.

She hugged herself momentarily, willing the familiar comfort of home to wash over her… but two minutes later she was still… uncertain. She sighed and sat down on her bed. She stripped her boots and knee socks from her feet and wiggled her toes against the rug.

She was still recovering, she decided. Soon she would feel like her old self and everything would go back to normal. Her apartment would feel warm again. She wouldn't need someone to warm it up for her. She never had in the past, so why did she feel…

Lucy smacked her cheeks with her palms, "Ahh, pull yourself together Lucy!" She let out a whimper and stood. "Snap _out _of it already!" She changed into a pair of comfortable shorts and a tank top and crawled into bed.

"I'm going to go to sleep and not think about it another second," she said, pulling the hair ties from her pigtails. She fluffed her hair and pulled the covers over her legs. She glanced at her gate keys resting on the small end table within grabbing distance of the bed for a moment.

How quickly could she get to them and then summon a spirit? She couldn't possibly do it fast enough if there was someone in her room ready to attack…

She climbed out of bed once more and rushed to the small kitchenette area of the apartment. She grabbed a serrated steak knife and returned to bed. She set the knife down on the table next to her keys, and shimmied under the covers.

"Just in case," she whispered with a yawn. "You can never be too safe." She snuggled up against her pillow and shut her eyes. _I probably won't even need to use it…_

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Lucy woke to the sound of the window unlatching.<p>

She lunged for the knife, feet tangling in her blankets. Her fingers wrapped around the handle of the knife as she plummeted to the floor with a heavy _thump_. She quickly recovered, holding the pitiful weapon up towards the window as she twisted on her butt and skittered backwards across the rug like a crab.

"Whoa, whoa Lucy! Calm down, it's just me!"

The knife slipped out of her quivering hand and clunked to the floor. Lucy's eyes filled with tears and her lip shook as she glowered at Natsu.

"You idiot! What are you _doing _here?" she quickly wiped the tears away before they could fall. She climbed to her feet, scooping up the knife so she could return it to its place in the kitchenette.

Natsu crouched on her desk. His eyes were catlike in the way they followed her across the room. He watched intently as she replaced the knife on the counter, her back to him as she tried to hide the fact that she was still furiously wiping the tears from her eyes.

Finally she turned and walked back to her bed. She sat down and gave him a good bloodshot glare.

"Sorry for scarin' ya," he mumbled.

She sighed and slipped under the covers, "It's okay."

Natsu jumped down from the desk and lifted the blanket to slide in after her.

Lucy scooted to the other side of the bed, squeaking, "Wh-what're you _doing_?"

"Relax," he said. "Just let me sleep here tonight, alright?"

"_Why_?" she thrust her palms against his chest and held him on the very edge of the mattress.

He pouted, "No reason. I just couldn't sleep is all. C'mon, let me in."

"Why is it _my _problem that you can't sleep?" she kept him firmly in place.

"Well it's just that…" he scowled and looked away. "It's just that I got kinda used to having you there and now… it just feels kinda empty by myself."

Heat raged up Lucy's face. Her arms faltered, "Wh-what… why is that _my _problem…"

"Jeese, just let me sleep here, okay? I'm sure I'll fall back into my normal sleep pattern and won't have to come every night. I just need an adjustment period, ya know?"

Lucy dropped her arms and he wiggled into the bed. She lay down on her back, pulling the covers up to her chin. She watched him squirm, readjusting his scarf so that it didn't choke him. When he was finally satisfied, he slumped down on his side and sighed happily. She stared at him for a little while longer until their eyes met and she quickly rolled away, facing the wall to hide her blush.

Natsu sighed and muttered under his breath, "Sheesh. This is why I was hoping you wouldn't wake up."

She rolled onto her back again and gaped at him, "You were gonna sneak into my room and sleep next to me without me ever knowing? How is that a good idea?"

"Well I would've been able to avoid this conversation!"

They glared at each other for long second before she turned away again. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to sleep.

"Hey Lucy?"

"_What_?"

"Why'd you look so scared earlier?"

Her eyes opened again and she gulped.

"You're imagining things," she assured him. "I wasn't scared."

He didn't answer for a minute.

"He's not gonna come for you again."

"I _know _that," she snapped.

"No one's gonna take you away. I promise."

She gulped, "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"I didn't like… I _hated _seeing you look so scared all the time. Especially since there was nothin' I could do about it. I promise so long as I'm around, you won't have to feel scared anymore, got it?"

Lucy bit her lip. She glanced at him over her shoulder. He yawned, showing off his fangs. His eyelids drooped and he blinked rapidly.

Lucy rolled towards him and scooted closer. He opened up his arms and she nestled into the curve of his body, hiding her face in his collar. Natsu draped the tail of his scarf over her neck and slung his arm over her waist.

"This is fine for now," she muttered. "But just a few days, okay?"

"Sure thing, Luce," he said and immediately fell asleep.

Lucy curled her hands against his chest and squeezed her eyes shut. Things would probably never go back to normal.

But at least her apartment was warm.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay, so I decided to throw in a bit of tingly special NaLu deliciousness in there for all my fellow shippers. <em>You're welcome<em>. I figured I owed it to you since I'm killing off Natsu in the next few chapters...**

**JUST KIDDING. Oh God, can you imagine? Life OVER. There'd be nothing to live for in this world, seriously. I'd throw myself from a bridge screaming, "NALU FOREVER MOTHER FUCKERRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSS"-splash.**

**Anyway. I know there's no real reason for me to write an author's note.. but... I felt like doing it anyway. I don't want to seem as some cold, aloof, omnipotent writer that hides behind the screen and dangles a story before your eyes like, "Muwahaha... dance. Dance my pretties!" When in truth I'm just sittin' here with a cup of ramen drowning in an oversized sweatshirt trying to shield my keyboard from my kitten's interfering paws. I swear, she thinks the keys are a red carpet laid out just for her conceited ass. Gotta love her though, eh? Anyway, I'll stop myself right here.**

**Love-Moo**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"Ugh… what am I gonna do… what am I gonna _do_?" Lucy muttered as she walked into the guild hall.

"Lu-chan!" Levy ran up to the blonde. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Levy-chan," Lucy smiled in greeting but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Levy clasped her hands behind her back.

She sighed, "Oh… it's just that I talked to my landlady today. She said that I have to have the rent for the last two months when I pay for this month!"

"Uh oh, sounds like you're going to have to go on a job," Levy giggled.

"Yeah…" Lucy's eyes traveled over the tank top Levy wore. It was loose around the chest and looked… familiar.

"Why don't we go check the board?" Levy grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her across the guild hall.

"O-okay," they browsed over the jobs pinned onto the job board. Lucy sighed again and crossed her arms over her chest, "Ah man… I was hoping I could relax for another week before I had to get back into work."

"Good morning ladies," a voice drew their attention. Erza joined them at the board. Lucy's gaze trailed over the plaited red skirt she wore with her armor. "Are we looking for a new job?"

Lucy looked up into her face, "Uh… yeah. I need enough money to pay three months' worth of rent."

"Well then, how about we gather up the team and take one of these high paying jobs?" Erza pulled a sheet down, "This one should be adequate."

Lucy checked the reward, "Split five ways it'll only be enough for one month…"

Erza waved her hand, "The full reward is yours."

"Wh-what?" Lucy gaped at her.

She smiled, "It's the least we can do, after everything that's happened to you… you deserve something easy for once."

Tears filled Lucy's eyes, "Thank you…"

"Hey, wha's goin' on over here?" Cana walked up, a jug of golden liquid in one hand.

"Are you feeling better, Lucy?" Lisanna approached from a different direction.

Lucy glanced between Cana's white bikini top to Lisanna's green jacket. She then examined Levy's tank top and Erza's skirt.

"Alright," she propped her fists up on her hips. "Spill it. Why are all of you wearing my clothes?"

Levy tugged at the hem of the shirt, pink touching her cheek, "Uh oh…"

Erza chuckled, "I suppose she _would _notice when we all wore them the same day…"

"Did you _steal _my clothes while I was gone?" Lucy asked in outrage.

"Well…" Lisanna averted her eyes to the ceiling, "Uhm…"

"What's the big deal?" Cana pointed at her and let out a burp. "It's not like you were usin' 'em!"

Lucy's eye twitched and she growled, "You have 'til the count of five to give them back before I start undressing you."

* * *

><p>"It feels nice to have the team back together for a job," Wendy said cheerfully.<p>

Gray glared at Natsu on the seat across from him on the carriage. The dragon slayer was a sickly green color as he lay draped across Erza and Lucy.

"Oh yeah," the ice mage muttered. "I totally missed hearing that guy cry like a huge baby every time we set foot on any kind of form of transportation."

Erza chuckled as she stroked Natsu's pink hair. "Poor thing. And he was so excited when I asked him if he wanted to go on the job."

The carriage hit a bump and Natsu writhed. His legs bumped into Lucy's stomach and chest and she not so gently shoved them off of her lap. "Since when am I a bed for this sick idiot?" she scowled.

"Wow," Happy said, glancing at Carla. "Lucy sure has gotten heartless ever since she returned…"

"Oh shut it, cat."

The carriage rolled to a stop and the driver called back to them, "This is far as I go!"

"Very good," Erza stood, dumping Natsu's body to the floor.

Everyone exited the carriage and Lucy ended up dragging Natsu by his wrists out onto the dusty road. She dropped him and wiped her forehead with a sigh. She looked around with a frown.

"Where are we? I thought the monsters we were supposed to kill were in the forest…" They were parked in the middle of a vast, open valley.

"Unfortunately," Gray said, stretching his arms over his head, "The monster attacks get pretty bad at this point on. The road is closed to civilians."

"So we need to walk?"

Erza unhitched her wagon of luggage from the back of the carriage and sent the driver off down the road in the direction they had come.

"That's right," she said. "It's about a five hour walk to the edge of the forest where the job takes place."

_"FIVE HOURS_?" Lucy's jaw dropped. "We won't get there until midnight!"

"It sounds dangerous to fight in the middle of the night," Wendy said nervously.

"I agree," Carla nodded. "We should make camp after nightfall and wait until morning to fight."

"That's a sound plan," Erza said.

"C-camp?" Lucy glanced down at Natsu, who was finally rousing from his motion sickness induced coma. "B-but… shouldn't we get done as soon as possible and then return home?"

"Is there something wrong with camping?" Erza tugged her wagon along as she headed north. "Don't worry. I've brought enough sleeping bags for everyone."

"That's not really what I'm worried about…" Lucy murmured and slowly followed.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Wow, I'm so sorry this chapter is so stinkin' boring. I would spice it up or make it longer... but remember the illness I was complaining about several chapters ago? Yeah, it's still around. But I think maybe it's getting better... maybe? I feel like I'm knocking on death's door, truthfully. Not to mention I guzzled two dosages of Nyquil about an hour ago and it's a major battle just to keep my eyes open... It's taken me several hours to write just this much... I don't think I can do better today. Tomorrow I'll try to write something exciting. Or at least cute. Or interesting. Or whatever. Better than this for sure. So thanks for sticking with me during these times of hardships and putting up with my boring, uninteresting chapter updates. I really look forward to the journey ahead and hope you guys stay with me to see its end! Feel free to review at your leisure! I love hearing from you guys!<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"I believe this is a fine place to camp," Erza stopped just inside the forest.

"B-but…" Lucy stared at the others as they dutifully started to set up camp. "Don't you think it's kind of dangerous?"

"What?" Erza climbed her wagon and tossed luggage down to Gray.

"We're going to camp in the forest where horrific monsters are known to live?"

"Aw, lighten up Lucy!" Natsu gathered sticks and dropped them into a shallow hole in the center of their camp. He lit them on fire and said, "It's better than just lying out in the open for robbers to attack us."

"Robbers?" Lucy squeaked.

"Yeah," Gray tossed Erza's sleeping bags off to the side. "Apparently a band of thieves have sprouted up ever since the monsters appeared. They mainly just loot the remains of the monster attacks though. I wouldn't worry too much about them."

"If you didn't want me to worry about them then you shouldn't have told me about them," Lucy hugged herself and glanced around at the shadowy woods surrounding them.

"It's fine, Lucy!" Natsu grinned. "With all of us together, there's no way anything bad could happen!"

Lucy stared at him for a short while before her worry dissipated. He was right, after all. With her friends supporting her, everything would be alright. She smiled, "Alright. I believe you. Now what's for dinner?"

* * *

><p>Lucy woke when cold air bombarded her left side. She shivered and opened her eyes to see that her sleeping bag was open and Natsu was climbing inside. She sat up in an instant, throwing her hands out to stop the audacious dragon slayer.<p>

"What are you _doing_?" she hissed, pushing at his chest. She glanced around at the others, but no one stirred.

"C'mon," he whined. "I can't sleep!"

"That's not my problem!" they fell to a weird anti-tug-of-war, Natsu trying desperately to wiggle into her sleeping bag and Lucy trying frantically to keep him out.

"Why can't I?" he pouted. "You said it was okay, remember?"

"I also said it was only okay for a few days!" she huffed. "It's been a week! Grow up!"

"But—"

"And besides, what if someone woke up and saw us?"

"So?"

"It'd cause problems!" Lucy's hands slipped off of Natsu's chest and he quickly scampered into the sleeping bag before she could recover, zipping it up behind him. He lay down with a triumphant smile. Lucy growled and pounded on his head with her fists, barely able to move at all in the cramped bag.

Natsu rolled onto his side, putting his back to her. Lucy grunted as the bag squeezed her up against his backside. "Gross! Why am I the big spoon?" She twisted her arms against him in frustration.

Natsu yawned, "Shh, I'm tryin' to sleep here, Lucy."

"Try to sleep somewhere else you big idiot!" she tugged on his pink hair.

He ignored her complaints and fell silent.

Lucy hesitated and struggled into a partial sitting position in the tight sleeping bag. She gazed down at his face. The idiot was already asleep! Anger flew to her head and she prepared her fist for a Lucy punch, but then paused.

It _had _gotten comfortably warm in the sleeping bag. Whereas before she had only barely managed to hide from the chilly night air by tucking herself into a tiny ball inside the sleeping bag with only her mouth and nose outside to keep from suffocating. She scowled and lay back down. It's not like she could do anything to get rid of him _now_. She might as well cut her losses and try to get a few hours of sleep in before they were off to hunt monsters.

Lucy wrapped her arm around Natsu's stomach and pressed her cold nose against his blazing back. She decided she would just wake up before everybody else so they wouldn't find out about the dragon slayer's new bad habit.

But she wouldn't worry about it until then. She squeezed her eyes shut and deeply inhaled Natsu's warm campfire scent. Right now she wouldn't worry about anything. She was warm, and that's all that mattered at the moment.

* * *

><p>"Well this is an interesting development."<p>

"Shh! Erza… we shouldn't wake them…"

"I suppose now would be a good time to talk to Natsu about responsibility and protection and—"

"Erza… don't you think you're going too far?"

"If I don't tell him, who will?"

"No— that's not—"

_Oh no._

Lucy's eyes popped open.

_Oh nooooooo_.

Erza, Wendy, Carla, and Happy were all leaning over her with wide curious eyes. Lucy slowly looked down to see a pink haired dragon slayer curled up against her side, head resting comfortably on her bosom.

Lucy screamed and kicked Natsu from the sleeping bag. She tried to gain her feet and flee the crowd that had gathered around her, but her legs tangled in the sleeping bag and she slammed face first into the grass. She spat grass and dirt from her mouth and moaned. _I'm so done._

Natsu sat up from his place on the other side of the camp and rubbed the spot on his head that he had landed on. "OW! What was _that_ for, Lucy?"

Erza stood and joined him, a small smile on her lips. She offered her hand, "Come, Natsu. We have much to talk about."

"Noooooo!" Lucy cried. "Erza it's not what it looks like! I swear!"

"Really?" Happy said. "'Cause it looked like Natsu was having a good ol' time snuggling up with your chest."

"It also looked like Lucy wasn't exactly hating it," Wendy said with pink cheeks.

"She was holding on to him pretty tight, wasn't she?" Happy giggled behind his hand.

"Well, I can't say I didn't see it coming," Carla said.

"Did you have a vision that this would happen?" Happy asked.

"No. But I didn't _need _a vision to see—"

"_Stooooooooooopppp_!" Lucy sobbed.

"First thing, Natsu," Erza was saying. "It's important to consider protection."

"Protection?" he cocked his head to the side. "You mean like armor or a shield?"

Erza pursed her lips, "Well… in a way… I suppose you could call it that."

"Erza!" Lucy whined.

"I don't need any of that!" Natsu said with a wild grin. "All I need is a little fire!" he demonstrated his meaning by releasing a massive wave of flames from his mouth, igniting a tree just off to the side of the camp.

"Ungh, what's going on?" Gray's groggy voice came. He sat up from his sleeping bag, blinking sleepily at everyone.

_Oh thank the heavens,_ Lucy breathed out a great sigh of relief_. At least one person didn't see—_

"Oh, the lovebirds are awake?" Gray said, turning Lucy to stone. "About time. Can we get goin' on this mission already?"

"I haven't finished explaining to Natsu about the birds and the bees," Erza said simply.

"What kinds of birds?" Natsu scratched the top of his head. "The edible kind?"

"_Stop_!" Lucy jumped to her feet. "It's not like that, Erza! Natsu just has a hard time sleeping at night okay! So he sneaks into my bed at night and—"

"Wait, are you telling me this has happened before?" the redheaded mage cocked an eyebrow.

Lucy gulped, "Uhhh…"

Erza chuckled and patted Natsu on the shoulder, "Silly me. I see there's no need for me to explain anything then. You seem to have a firm grasp on the situation."

Natsu blinked at her curiously, head cocked to the side.

Lucy deflated, "Just kill me now…"

"Sorry Lucy," Wendy said.

"Alright!" Erza turned towards the forest, hands on her hips. "Let's kill us some monsters!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Hey everybody, so here's a new chapter for ya. All nice and wrapped up with a bow and everything. Sorta. Sorry I didn't update yesterday. (If anybody noticed and was terribly put out about it) But I guess I sorta realized that life does exist beyond the laptop. Weird, huh? I mean, I actually visited my parents and hung out with real life friends. <strong>

**So strange. I mean... they were real flesh and blood and everything. So outdated. Everyone knows virtual friends are best, right? (She says to a crowd of people she doesn't know the name of that are only using her for cheap NaLu thrills. D; Just kidding. ;D ) Anyway, since I spent the better half of my night trying desperately to snipe the crap out of my friends and arguing with my dad that a picture I took of myself in glasses was, in fact, me, I didn't really get the chance to type much. (No seriously, I can't get over this, he insisted that the picture looked nothing like me. And here I was showing it to him because I was so proud of how adorably cute I looked in glasses... Is he implying that I'm not cute because the girl in the picture supposedly looked nothing like me!? Even my mom was like, "No it's her... 'cause look at the mustache earrings." That's me. Mustache earring girl, whose face is so unrecognizable that her own parents can't distinguish it without cheap dollarstore ear baubles. From this day forth I shall be known as a willing orphan.) Sorry, enough about me. I know you guys only read for Natsu and Lucy right? ;) *Heart secretly breaks* **

**Anyway, just to let you know, at the end of this month, I'm going to be going on a little trip. So unless I write my broken heart out in the next couple of weeks and get ahead of my updating, you may not get new chapters between January 29th- February 1st! Oh lawd how will thee survive!? No but seriously I'm gonna try my hardest to keep that from happening. I hope to have a new chapter up every single one of those days! Even if they're short and boring! MARK MY WORDS!**

**Okay, wow I talk too much. Please don't get bored with me. I'm needy. Furreallz.**

**Love-Moo**


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note: Okay, so I never really thought about this before but... everyone reading this might not be 100% caught up on Hiro Mashima's story. So... From now on, whenever one of my chapters cover something that could be considered a spoiler, I'm gonna warn you up here! This chapter contains a spoiler that would affect the people that haven't finished the Tenrou arc in either the manga or the anime of Fairy Tail. So be forewarned that if you are one of the people that are not caught up to that point, your jaw may be dropping. Okay, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 28<p>

"WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!" Natsu waltzed into the guild hall with a laugh.

"Welcome back!" Mirajane called.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia swooned as the shirtless ice mage followed the fire dragon.

Wendy and Erza entered last, with Happy and Carla flying above.

"Oh?" Mirajane ran her eyes over the guild mages. "Lucy's not with you?"

Natsu leaned on the counter across from her and adopted a serious expression, "I'm afraid… Lucy _didn't_ make it back alive…"

Erza slapped him on the back of the head and sat down on a stool. "She went to go pay her rent. I guess today was the due date."

"So she was able to earn the full amount for three months?" Mirajane smiled. "I'm glad."

Natsu turned and ran to Gray, delivering a flying kick to his chin. "C'MOOOOOOOON!" he roared. "FIGHT ME!"

Mirajane giggled, "He certainly seems energetic."

Cana, stretched out on her belly on the counter, slithered her drunken way over to Erza. She propped her head up in the palm of her hand and grinned, "Hey Erz. You think I don't notice?"

"Notice what?" the scarlet haired woman avoided her stare, armored hands clasped politely on the counter.

Lisanna joined them with a stack of dirty dishes, "Welcome back, Erza!"

Cana pointed at her, "C'mon. Spill it. I know you got some information that you're just _dyin_' to tell us about."

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," Erza turned her nose up.

Wendy, Carla, and Happy walked over.

"Hey Erza!" Happy said. "Have you told them about Natsu and Lucy yet?"

Mirajane, Lisanna, and Cana all leaned close, "_What about Natsu and Lucy?_" they prodded.

Erza pressed her lips in a tight line for a few seconds before letting out a giant sigh. "Okay, listen up to _this_…"

* * *

><p><em>"Hey you Twit! There's four month's worth in here<em>._"_

"_I know."_

* * *

><p>Lucy sighed and gazed around her apartment. It was cold. She rubbed her arms slowly and moved to the desk. She pulled out the box of letters to her mother and gently thumbed through them.<p>

"Letters," she murmured. For years she wrote and collected the words she wished to say to her mother. She placed the box on the desk and left the apartment.

Soon she'd be able to send them.

* * *

><p>"Lu-chan!"<p>

Lucy turned. Levy ran down the road, waving her hand in the air. She caught up with the blonde mage and then clasped her hands behind her back.

"I see you're home!" she smiled wide. "How was the job?"

Lucy turned forward again and they walked slowly along the canal towards the guild hall.

"It was fine," she said softly. "I didn't even have to lift a finger."

Levy laughed, "Oh yeah, I bet Natsu had a good time finally letting loose, huh? After all that time being suppressed…"

"Yeah…"

Levy cocked her head to the side and examined her friend's solemn expression. "Are you okay, Lu-chan?"

"Hm? Oh… yeah…"

Levy frowned, "You're not still mad about the clothes thing, are you?"

Lucy glanced up at her, "Huh?"

Levy pouted her lips out, "I know it might seem bad that we stole your clothes while you were gone. But I can explain."

"Oh, no, Levy I—"

"At first we were just searching your room for clues," the blue haired girl said. "We would go almost every day to see if we missed anything. Then after a few weeks, Cana got into your closet." She smiled softly and stared at the passing cobblestones under her feet. "I walked in on her on the ground sobbing under a pile of your laundry. She was crying about how she missed you and how your clothes smelled like you and how she was scared that she'd never get to see you again…" she giggled. "She said a lot of nice things about you, Lucy. She said if it weren't for you encouraging her to tell Gildarts that she was his daughter… she would've quit the guild."

Lucy blushed and looked away.

Levy continued, "We all felt the same way. We were so worried about you, and so we took your clothes." She shook her head sheepishly, "It made us feel better, somehow. Like having a piece of you nearby gave us hope that you'd eventually show up, demanding we return your clothes back to you."

Lucy laughed.

Levy smiled up at her, "I hope you're not still mad."

"I'm not mad," she said quietly. "I'm happy my clothes were able to bring you some comfort while I was gone." Tears filled her eyes, "I'm sorry…" her chin quivered. "I'm so sorry for leaving."

Levy threw her arms around her friend and held her tight, "It's okay! We all love you so much, Lucy and we are just glad you are safe now!"

Lucy hugged her back and bit her lip, trying to hold the tears in.

Levy smiled and squeezed her, "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. I'm happy you're home now. I love you so much, Lu-chan."

Lucy hid her face in the smaller girl's shoulder, "I love you. I love you…" she squeezed her eyes shut as the dread stretched across her belly. "I'm sorry. I'm _so _sorry…"

* * *

><p>As soon as Lucy and Levy stepped foot into the guild, Cana and Mirajane whisked them away to a table on the far right of the hall where Erza, Wendy, Lisanna, Happy, and Carla gathered.<p>

"Hey Lucy!" Natsu waved from the second floor balcony. He had the rope swing in his hand, "Let's swing!"

"_FUCK NO!_" Lucy shouted up to him as Mirajane and Cana dragged her off.

Natsu pouted and muttered quietly, "Aww… but it's funner with you…"

Levy and Lucy were shoved down onto the bench next to Erza.

Lucy glanced around at the women, "Wh-what's going on?"

"Spill it," Cana demanded. "Erza told us _everything_."

"E-everything?" sweat formed on the blonde's brow. "What do you mean?"

"Oh don't act so innocent, Lucy," Mirajane giggled.

Lisanna grinned and leaned on her elbows on the table, "We're your friends! You gotta let us in on the details!"

Levy looked back and forth between Lucy and the others. "Huh?"

Lucy waved her hands, "I really don't know what you're talking about. Honestly."

"C'mon woman!" Cana slammed her fists down on the table, "Don't hold out on us!"

"Yeah Lucy," Mirajane's eyes glinted with mischief, "It's not nice to keep your friends in the dark about these kinds of important topics."

"Eh?" Levy was becoming more and more confused.

"No," Lucy insisted, "I seriously don't know what you are referring to!"

"Quit dodgin'!" Cana demanded. "Erza told us how she found Natsu in your sleeping bag on the job you guys just did!"

"_EHHHHH_?!" Levy turned to Lucy, "Is that _true_?"

Lucy blanched and glared at Erza, "_Erza_!"

She smiled and patted Lucy's shoulder, "Calm down, Lucy. Cana is an expert in these things. I thought you might like her input."

"So tell us!" Mirajane exclaimed. "Tell us _everything_! When did it start?"

"Are you dating now?" Lisanna butted in.

"Is it _good_?" Cana leaned forward.

"Stop! Stop!" Lucy held up her hands. "It's not what you think! I swear!" her cheeks were as red as Natsu's fire, and twice as hot. "It's not like that!" she sighed. "It's just… ever since we got kidnapped… Natsu hasn't been able to sleep without…" her voice dwindled away. _Oh gawd. _How was she supposed to tell them that he couldn't sleep without her there? So embarrassing!

The girls gasped.

Lucy covered her face, "And well I… I guess I really like how hot it is…"

Mirajane fanned her face with her hand. Lisanna clutched her heart with wide eyes. Cana grinned and nodded slowly.

"W-wait a second!" Levy leapt to her feet. "Lucy!" her voice gained volume and echoed through the guild hall. "YOU HAD SEX WITH NATSU?"

Natsu's grip on the rope swing failed and he dropped like a brick to Gajeel and Gray's table, crushing the legs and sending splinters flying every direction.

The entire guild turned in Lucy's direction and let out a collective, "_WHAAAAAAAT_?"

Gray nearly died laughing. Natsu climbed to his knees and peeked over the rubble he had just created out of the table.

Gajeel chuckled and grinned down at the pink haired guy. He crossed his arms over his chest, "Nice one, Salamander," he said in his gravelly voice.

Lucy could feel her soul leaving her body.

"Lucy _noooooo_!" Wendy held her limp body, trying desperately to usher her spirit back into her mouth. "Don't die on us!"

Cana cackled and fell from her bench, clutching her stomach. Erza stood and swished her red hair over her shoulder. "Well," she said with a slight sigh, "I didn't expect such a public announcement of the matter, but I suppose it was going to get around anyway." She propped her fists on her hips and smiled at the guild members with their jaws hanging down to their ankles. "That's right, everybody," she announced. "We shall have a spring wedding! I, of course, shall be the maid of honor. Macao, you got ordained for Bisca and Alzack's wedding, correct? I believe Lucy, as a writer, will want to say her own vows… Master will need to be fitted for a tux to walk the bride down the aisle…"

"Wait!" Natsu's voice interrupted. He was still on his knees in the rubble. "Am I missin' somethin' here?"

"Now, now, Natsu," Gray leaned his hand heavily on the dragon slayer's shoulder. "No need to be shy…"

"Can it, ice princess!" Natsu sent a wave of fire from his mouth in his direction but Gray easily stepped out of reach, chuckling. Natsu gained his feet again and turned to Erza, "It's just… I'm pretty sure I'd remember something like that happening… So I don't think—"

Lucy roused from her short death, blinking rapidly and slowly sitting up… "Ooohhh," she rubbed her temples. "What happened—"

"—I had sex with Lucy," Natsu finished.

"LUCY NOOOO!" Wendy caught the celestial spirit mage as her soul once again fled from her body.

The entire guild hall was in a ruckus. Evergreen sighed and scowled, chin resting in the palm of her hand. "_I _wanted a spring wedding…"

Elfman choked on his draft and sputtered at her, "_Huh?_"

Natsu jumped on Gray and they quickly fell to fighting. Gajeel stood, stretched his shoulder, and then dove into the dust cloud the fight kicked up.

"Gray!" Erza stomped in their direction, "_Natsu will_ not_ have a black eye for his wedding photos_!"

Loke appeared near Lucy's head and kneeled next to Wendy, "Don't you fear, Wendy. I shall bring her back with some mouth to mouth."

Lucy snapped back to life and sent the spirit soaring with a punch. She leapt to her feet and whirled to the mayhem of the guild hall.

"_I'm gonna kill everyone in here_!" she shrieked and clasped her hands together and started to chant,

"_Survey the Heavens, _

_"Open the heavens…_"

"No Lucy! Don't do it!" Wendy and Levy threw their arms around the blonde.

Cana laughed until she couldn't breathe and then passed out in a pool of alcohol.

Mirajane smiled cheerfully and looked to Lisanna, "I think a spring wedding will be delightful."

Lisanna grinned, "Hopefully we all live to see it."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So, I'm trying to lay the humor on thick because I know it's been pretty lacking in the funnies in the early stages of the story and I'm kinda gonna turn it serious again soon... like when I kill Natsu.<strong>

**Kiddin.**

**Not kiddin.**

***prolonged serious eye contact***

**Nah, I'm kidding.**

**Or am I?**

***prolonged serious eye contact again***

**Well, you'll find out. MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA**

**Okay, so much wanted update on my life, (RIGHT?) my friend is getting married and I'm gonna be a maid of honor! So now I get to do a lot of planning and fun stuff like that. ARE YOU EXCITED FOR ME?! It's okay if you're not. I'm excited for me.**

**Love-Moo**


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's Note: Okay so like I said before, I'm going to start warning about spoilers from now on. If you haven't read/watched a few chapters/episodes past the return from Tenrou, then there may be a spoiler down below.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 29<p>

"Mmmm, mm, mmmmmmmmm," Natsu hummed as he chewed.

Lucy froze and slowly turned in her desk chair. She stared at him as he sat on the floor of her apartment, bobbing his head to the side and stuffing a turkey leg into his mouth, humming along to a song in his mind. He paused the tune to gulp and then picked it up where he left off.

After a while, he noticed her staring at him and stopped. He grinned and held out the turkey leg, "Hungwy Wucy?" he said with a full mouth.

"No thanks," she replied.

He shrugged and ripped off another ravenous bite. The humming didn't restart.

She pursed her lips, "Why are you here?"

He glanced at her, "Eh?" he swallowed and leaned back on his free hand, "Oh. Well I'm tired. So I wanted to take a nap. But you don't look very sleepy. So I'm waitin'. Hey, when's your naptime, usually?"

Lucy sighed, "I don't take naps, usually."

"What? Why the heck not? Don't you get tired halfway through the day?"

"I don't start six fights before noon like you do."

"Sure, but you read and write a lot. Isn't that brain stuff pretty tiring?" He finished the leg and tossed the bone onto the plate on the table in front of him.

Lucy smiled, "I suppose. But I've got pretty good stamina."

Natsu picked at his teeth with his pinky. He watched her curiously, "So you ain't tired in the least?"

"Not really."

He pouted, "But I am!"

She rolled her eyes, "Have you even tried sleeping without me? What makes you think you still can't?"

"It's always the same," he insisted, staring across the room at her bookcase. "I lie down and close my eyes and then try to clear my head. But then it won't stay clear. I start thinkin' about things. I start thinkin' about your screamin'. And your tears. And that feeling of helplessness... And then I start thinkin', _is she okay_? _Where is she_?" He leaned forward, placing his hands in his lap, turning his eyes to the floor. "And then I start to feel crappy. Like in my stomach. It gets to the point that I can't relax at all. And I lie there for hours. Just thinkin'. Just worryin'."

Lucy gulped and bit her bottom lip.

"And then I start to think… _what if tomorrow comes and I never see her again_?" he glanced up at her. "And then I get up. And I run here."

Lucy cleared her throat and turned away. She took a moment to catch her breath and insure that her voice wouldn't quiver when she said, "Wow. That was a really boring story." She started gathering her writing materials up, stuffing them in their drawers. "Maybe I will take a nap after all."

Natsu bounded into the bed, stretching out on top of the covers, hands stacked under his head. He sighed happily as Lucy straightened up. She took her time. And when she was finished, she turned and walked over. She lifted a book from her bedside table and then sat down next to him, leaning against the wooden headboard of the bed.

She opened her book, "Okay, have a good nap."

Natsu watched her for a few moments.

"You're not gonna leave while I'm asleep?"

She frowned. She didn't want to admit that that was her plan.

"You won't, right?" he pressed.

She sighed, "Fine."

He smiled, "Okay."

She flipped the pages slowly.

"Hey Lucy…"

"What?"

"You're okay, right?"

She gulped and glanced down at him, "Of course I am. Why do you ask?"

He didn't answer for a moment.

"Natsu?"

"I just got a feeling," he murmured. "Like… you've got one foot out the door."

She suppressed a gasp and closed her book, resting it in her lap. "Wh-why do you say that?"

"I know you," he grumbled. "I know you're doubting. You're thinking too much. You're faking that smile you have and you…" he rolled away, "you keep lookin' towards the horizon."

Lucy's heart wrenched. "That's where the sun rises…"

"And sets."

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her book on the floor. She slid down and scooted up against Natsu's back. She pressed her forehead between his shoulder blades and grasped the hard tight muscles of his side.

"How can I leave?" she whispered. "You'd die from lack of sleep."

Natsu smiled and closed his eyes, snuggling deeper into her pillow and deeply inhaling the scent of Lucy that lingered there.

* * *

><p>"Hey Lucy," Loke appeared in the center of her apartment. "I'm glad you got that whole thing cleared up about you and Natsu sleeping together. Although I think it would've been a riot if they still believed it and actually went through with planning that wedding—"<p>

His eyes fell on the suitcase next to the door.

"Are you… going somewhere?" he turned to his celestial spirit mage.

Lucy finished zipping up her boots and then stood. "My train leaves in an hour."

"Train to where?"

"Don't panic, Loke," she said. "I just want to visit Mother and Father's graves. And maybe go see the house."

"Feeling nostalgic?"

Lucy smiled as she wrapped her box of letters in cloth and slipped it into a bag. "I suppose you could say that."

"Are you going alone?"

She didn't reply for long seconds. She delivered the bag to where her suitcase sat and then turned towards him, "I'll have my spirits."

"Lucy…"

"What?" she sat down on her armchair. "I'm not doing anything dangerous, so it should be okay, right?"

He walked over to her, "Danger doesn't care what you're doing. Whether you are visiting your parents' graves or going on a job, it's always best not to travel alone."

She rolled her eyes, "Before I joined Fairy Tail, I was always by myself, and I managed just fine."

"Except for being dragged onto a boat of kidnappers with love and sleep spells."

Lucy sighed, "Don't you find it funny that all my trouble started after meeting a certain pink haired fireball?"

Loke grinned. He crossed his arms over his chest, "Lucy. I'd feel better if you took someone with you."

"I told you. I'm only going—"

"It's not just the outside danger that I'm worried about."

Lucy stared up at him.

"You think I can't feel the turmoil in your heart?" he smiled gently. "I'm your celestial spirit, Lucy. My sole purpose is to protect you. But I can't protect you from what's lingering inside your mind." He leaned over and pressed a finger to her forehead, "And so long as it's there… I'd feel more comfortable if you had a friend nearby to keep it from growing and taking over."

She averted her eyes. "I always have friends nearby."

"Lucy…"

She stood, bumping him out of the way. "Don't go telling anyone about me leaving."

Loke sighed and watched her move around the apartment, checking to be sure she had everything packed for her journey ahead.

"Such a troublesome master," he said quietly.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Come on guys! You should know me well enough by now to know I'd never kill Natsu!<strong>

**Or would I? I've been called heartless in the past...**

**No but seriously. He's my main man. My squeeze. **

**But all things must come to an end eventually...**

**I'm pullin' your legs. Killing Natsu would be equivalent to killing one of my very own children. If I had children. What I'm trying to say is that Natsu is as beloved to me as a child that I went through the hell to grow and birth would be. Even though Natsu is a borrowed character, I still love him like my own! (Let's just go ahead and ignore the fact that I have indeed killed my own characters in the past...)**

**So rest assured, my little pigeons. Natsu shall henceforth live. And not die in the very least. Unless I decide to do like a little, "OH MY GOD HE'S NOT BREATHING, LUCY STICK YOUR TONGUE IN HIS MOUTH" kind of thing. Although... less tongue. And more tear shed. Because it'd be better that way. But he'd come back from the dead. Or come back as a ghost and haunt the guild. But could be seen, touched, and all that good crap. Except he couldn't use his dragon slayer magic. Like can you imagine? You just hear like... "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" And see a ghostly Natsu throw himself across a table, sending plates and goblets flying across the guild and Macao and Wakaba complaining about "HEY WE WERE EATIN THAT YOU WASHED UP USELESS GHOUL!" And then Erza walking in and grabbing him by the ear saying something like, "NATSU WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT YOU TRYING TO BE A SINISTER SPIRIT FROM THE OTHER REALM?" Yeah... there's an idea... BRB, brainstorming.**

**Love-Moo**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Same kind of spoiler from the last couple of chapters.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 30<p>

"Oh, Loke. Nice to see you around," Erza stopped in her path towards the guild as the orange haired spirit appeared at her side. "What brings you down from the celestial spirit realm?"

"I'm about to disobey my master," he said simply.

Erza blinked at him in surprise, "Your master? You mean Lucy?"

"She's leaving, Erza."

"_What_?" Erza whirled toward the direction of Lucy's apartment. "Where on Earthland is she _going_?"

"Calm down," he raised his hands. "She is just going to visit her parents' graves and her old home."

Erza relaxed a little bit. "Alone?"

Loke sighed and ran his fingers through his wild hair, "I'm worried about her. I know I should trust in my mage's abilities… which have grown exponentially these past several months… but… she's not completely recovered in her mind yet."

Erza was silent.

"You're the only one I trust with this information. Anyone else would march off to drag her home. But I think she needs this. She needs to find whatever she's looking for. But…" he looked away. "I'm still worried."

Erza smiled, "Thank you for telling me, Loke. I'll think of a way to help her."

"I trust you to make the right decision," he said as he started to fade away. "I'm counting on you, Erza."

She watched him disappear, considering her options.

"Hey Erza!" Natsu jogged up to her. Happy flew above and then landed beside his pink haired friend.

"Was that Loke just now?" the blue cat asked.

Erza nodded and glanced between the two. "Where are you off to?"

"I'm gonna go take a nap with Lucy!" Natsu announced casually as if what he was saying was the most natural thing in the world.

"That's what you wanted to go do?" Happy gaped at him.

"Sure is!"

"Uhhh… I'll hang out with Erza then."

"Why? You can come too."

"No thanks."

"Why not? You hate Lucy or something'?"

Erza laughed, "It's because he thinks you are planning to do more than just nap with the woman."

"Like what?" Natsu cocked his head. "Play a card game?"

"Y…yeah Natsu. Like play a card game…" Happy's wings appeared and he hovered next to Erza. He whispered behind his paw to her, "I'll tell him when he's a little older."

"Hey!" fire burst from Natsu's mouth, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're kind of dumb sometimes, Natsu," Happy giggled.

"I AM NOT!" Natsu stomped his feet and shook his fists.

"Natsu," Erza interrupted. "I have a job for you."

"A job?" he settled down.

She nodded, "That's right. A job. One that I believe only you can do."

"I'll go get Lucy!" he turned on his heel.

Erza grabbed the tail of his scarf and tugged. He choked and fell onto his back.

"Actually," she said. "This job is concerning Lucy."

"What's the job?" Happy asked curiously.

"What's the reward?" Natsu asked at the same time.

Erza explained, "The job is to simply follow and observe Lucy without being caught. The reward is a fight with me."

"I'll take it!" Natsu leapt to his feet. He laughed maniacally, "THIS TIME I'LL KICK YOUR ASS ERZA!"

"But…" Happy frowned, "Why do you want Natsu to follow Lucy around? Is she going somewhere?"

Erza smiled, "It seems Lucy is planning a little trip out of Magnolia."

"What?" Natsu scowled. "And she wasn't gonna tell us?"

"That's the way it is."

"I'm gonna go talk to her," Natsu turned again and Erza tugged his scarf like before, sending him sprawling on his back once more.

"No. You've already taken the job, Natsu. And one of the conditions is that you cannot be found out by Lucy. You have to be sneaky."

"Like…" he grinned and he and Happy said simultaneously, "_Like Ninja_?"

"Yes," Erza propped her hands up on her hips. "Like the mighty ninja. You must blend in to your surroundings and make naught a sound. Do you think you can do that, you two?"

Natsu was already twisting his scarf around his head like a ninja mask, "Sure thing, Erza!"

"Good," she smiled. "Now come with me. We have less than an hour to get you disguised and have Wendy put a troya spell on you for the train ride."

"Train!" Natsu turned green just from the thought of the vehicle.

"Too late to turn back now, young dragon slayer," Erza headed in the direction of the guild. "Hurry up!"

* * *

><p>"This stuff smells!" Natsu whined as he made his way to the train station. He tugged at his newly blackened hair. "Why'd I have to dye my hair anyway?"<p>

"Because you're the only guy with pink hair in all of Magnolia," Happy replied, walking on all fours at his side.

"Nuh uh!"

"Anyway," the cat continued, "At least you don't have to pretend to be a _fox_."

Natsu looked down at his friend. His blue fur had been dyed an orange color and his tail was fluffed.

"I dunno, Happy. I think you look cute like that!"

"I'm a cat though! Not a fox!" he pouted. "I don't want to walk on all fours and pretend I can't talk!"

"But that's what normal cats do anyway," Natsu pointed out.

"Are you calling me a normal cat?" big tears appeared in his eyes.

"Aw, lighten up Little Buddy!" Natsu grinned. "You only gotta pretend to be a fox when Lucy's around!"

Happy sighed, "I guess you're right." He looked up at the dragon slayer. "By the way Natsu… you're not bothered that Erza took your scarf away from you?"

He blinked down at him, "Huh? Oh… well… She's right. It would be too recognizable. And well… I got pretty used to being without it when I was kidnapped. At least now I know it's safe and waiting for me."

Happy smiled and looked forward, "Wow, Natsu. You sure have grown up."

"Ugh!" Natsu tugged at the crotch of his jeans. "How can Gray wear these things?" he exclaimed. "There's absolutely _no _room to breathe!"

Happy rolled his eyes, "Guess I spoke too soon."

"I wanna wear my normal clothes!" Natsu whined. "The pants are too tight and so is the shirt. I feel like my skin is suffocating!" He hooked his index finger under the crew neck of the black shirt that hugged close to his muscled chest. "And it's too hot outside for a jacket!" he flapped his arms in exasperation, sending the loose tails of the blood red jacket fluttering behind him.

Happy examined his outfit, "I dunno, Natsu. I think you look really cool."

"Really?" he frowned, kicking the ground with his thick black leather boots.

"Yeah," Happy turned forward again. "So much unlike your usual self. That's why it's such a good disguise."

"_WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN_?"

"_Shh_!" Happy held a paw up to his mouth and glared at him. He pointed ahead. "Look! There she is! Act like a different person and don't get caught!"

Natsu glanced in the direction of his point. Lucy sat on a bench at the train station, suitcase on the ground next to her feet. She wore jean shorts and a lacy mint green tank top. Natsu's feet slowed to a stop.

Happy glanced up at him, "Natsu?"

He stared at Lucy as she gently knocked the toes of her sandals together, eyes gazing absently at the empty train tracks ahead. A slight breeze ruffled her blonde hair, which was down around her shoulders. She reached up and brushed a strand that tickled her nose behind her ear. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed, casting her eyes down.

Something in Natsu's chest tightened. He reached up and rubbed the spot just under his collarbone.

"Natsu? Are you okay?" Happy asked.

He gulped and said softly, "Why does she look like that?"

"What do you mean?"

He frowned and dropped his hand. "She shouldn't look like that," he growled.

"Natsu…"

He turned away, "I don't know how long I'll last, Happy." He headed towards the ticket booth, "If she doesn't smile soon, I may just have to forfeit Erza's job and do something about it."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay so I got a few questions a while ago asking about the whole Azamin situation and I thought I'd clear it up right now. (And by a few questions I mean there was like... one. But I was unable to reply to it so I'm just gonna do a psa anyway!)<strong>

**Okay. Azamin didn't rape Lucy. Like Kieran said, the creep wasn't into the physical stuff. It was only during the final battle between them that he even touched her all that inappropriately. And yes, since she spat on him, his nasty creepo brain did a little SNAP and he had every intention of raping her, but no- he didn't get the chance before Lucy kicked his sorry ass. So that's that. :)**

**Also, a little thing you might not know about me... I'm like this weirdo music obsessed creepazoid that listens to music nonstop all day because silence is weird and strange and I don't like it. I don't know if any of you share this attribute with me, but I have this habit of creating little... "Soundtracks" for the stories a write. They're mostly comprised of songs that I am currently listening to whilst I am writing/reading something and they get this really great warm feeling that whenever I hear them outside of the reading/writing world they immediately remind me of a character/story/scene. Some songs get soooo emotionally attached to a character or story that it almost brings tears to my eyes when I hear them. Seriously. And I'm not an emotional person, fo rillz. Fo rillz. So it's a big deal to me and sometimes I even refuse to listen to a certain song for weeks on end because I'm afraid that if I listen to it when I'm not thinking about the story/character that it represents to me that it might lose that special feeling.**

**Okay, you can call me weird if you want, but I think it's totally natural and neat and wow.**

**So, the reason I'm telling you all this is that I'm willing to share the music that I've been listening to while writing this story. It might not interest you in the least. You might not like the same kind of music that I do and you probably won't see the same connections that I do... but if you want me to start making a "Soundtrack" and listing a few songs at the end of each chapter or whatever, then I totally will. And I'll be sure to find them on youtube and be sure they're listenable for you if you want to search the ones you haven't heard before.**

**So anyway... if that's something you are interested in, let me know and I'll get around to buffing something out.**

**And always, thank you thank you thank you thank you for reading and reviewing so often like seriously, every time I get an email I feel like a celebrity. But a good celebrity. Like Robert Downey Jr. or Dwayne Johnson that would be totally humble and like show up at a random high school and freak everybody out like OMG a famous person in my little world. **

**Love-Not Famous But Feels Like It-Moo**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Only sort of spoiler in this chapter is if you haven't made it through the First Oracion Seis arc. And if that's the case... I envy you. So many episodes/chapters ahead of you. Your future is blindingly bright you lucky, lucky soul.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 31<p>

"Aren't we a little obvious?" Happy wondered.

"Nah," Natsu answered. They sat just two seats down and across the aisle from Lucy on the train. "We're out of the way enough. Besides, I wanted to get close enough to hear her."

"Natsu…" Happy sighed. "She's sitting alone. What is she going to be saying?"

Natsu didn't answer for long seconds. His eyes darted between Lucy and Happy. Finally he let out an exasperated grunt and crossed his arms over his chest, "Well I didn't think about that!"

Happy smiled and said condescendingly, "It's a good thing I came along, isn't it?"

Natsu grumbled and looked away.

Five minutes later, Lucy spoke.

Natsu and Happy both jerked their heads towards the sound.

"You're learning bad habits from Loke."

At first, Natsu thought he had been found out… but then he realized that there were two small spirits sitting across from her that she addressed.

"Piri piri!" Gemini floated up and drifted to the space right next to her. "Leo said it was okay!" They danced happily in air.

Lucy smiled weakly, "Did he?"

"We decided you looked lonely. So we came down to keep you company."

"Well…" her smile gained some strength. "I was kind of lonely actually."

A woman and her daughter walked by down the center aisle of the train. The small child pointed at the celestial spirit with wide eyes and tugged on her mother's skirt.

"What are those, Mommy?" the little girl exclaimed.

"Ruth, it's rude to point," the woman clasped her daughter's hand and tugged her along.

Lucy sighed, "Although I admit you do stand out a little more than I'd like…"

"Should we become a little less conspicuous?" Gemini didn't wait for a reply before morphing together until a pink haired guy with a checkered white scarf sat at her side. The Natsu look-alike grinned and said, "How's this instead?"

Lucy blinked at the new Natsu for a few moments before asking, "How are you doing that? I thought you could only mimic the people that are on an equal or lower level of magic power as me?"

Gemini crossed one leg over the other and draped Natsu's arms over the back of the seat. "We can change into mages of a higher level, but some of the magic is lost in the translation. We didn't receive any dragon slaying magic. Or any of Natsu's thoughts. Basically we are just his body and some slight underlying emotions."

"But…" Lucy reached over and touched his chin. "You have to touch the person you are going to mimic, right? When did you touch Natsu?"

Gemini's borrowed golden eyes wandered away from her face and hopped over the aisle and two seats back. "We can also retain someone's form just by being near him."

Natsu met his twin's eyes. Gemini smirked at him before turning back to Lucy, "We copied him the last time we were here."

Happy glanced at Natsu, "Uh oh. We've already been found out, Natsu."

He leaned forward, listening close to see if Lucy would believe Gemini's story.

She frowned and narrowed her eyes. Happy and Natsu held their breath.

"You shouldn't copy people without my command," she finally said, resting back against the seat and glancing around at the passengers of her train car. "You can only retain two forms in your arsenal at a time right? What if I needed both of the previously copied forms?"

"You're right," Gemini grinned and dropped an arm around Lucy's shoulders, sliding closer. "But aren't you glad we did it anyway?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and wiggled his arm away. "I don't really mind." She smiled. "Actually… it's kind of nice. Even though you aren't really him, it's kind of comforting being able to see his face."

Happy covered his mouth with his paw to suppress his "Ooooohhhh!"

Natsu's face warmed and he muttered, "Shut up."

Gemini smirked, "But this isn't very realistic, is it? Maybe this would be better?" He slumped down over the seat, face turning green as he started groaning.

Lucy laughed.

Natsu pushed the sleeves of his jacket up his to his elbows and prepared to beat the crap out of the mimic but Happy jumped into his lap to stop him.

Instead, a young man with dark red hair and a silver fedora walked up the aisle and stopped at Lucy's side. He instantly draped his arm over the seat at her back and leaned forward boldly.

Lucy startled at his appearance and slid warily closer to Gemini, who was slowly sitting up in response.

"Miss," the stranger greeted, peeling his hat from his head and sweeping it out. "Hello. How are you?"

"Uhm…" Lucy swept her blonde hair over her left ear nervously. "Fine, thanks. And you?"

"Very well," he instantly reached out and locked his fingers around the lock of hair she just pushed out of her face and rolled it gently through his hand. "Especially in the presence of such an exotic beauty."

_No way! Is he flirting with me_? Lucy thought in shock. Her seduction techniques almost never worked when it counted, and now that she wanted nothing to do with anybody else on the train, she was being hit on? _What the hell!_

"Calm down!" Happy pushed his paws against his friend's chest as his eye twitched and the telltale vein in his forehead bulged. He gripped the seat next to his thighs tightly, barely resisting the urge to deliver a flying, flaming punch to the man standing entirely too close to his friend.

"Where does this guy get off?" Natsu grumbled. "I'll send him packing. Let me at him, Happy. He's clearly a creep that needs to watch his hands!"

"Excuse me."

Natsu hesitated as Gemini stood from his place and approached the stranger. He straightened his shoulders and swatted the man's hand away from Lucy.

"What do you think you're touching?" the fake Natsu sized the man up, moving closer until their forehead's nearly brushed. A shadow had fallen over his face, broken only by the fiery glare under his furious brows.

"And you are?" the man met his glare with equal stubbornness.

"Me? I should be asking _you _that," he hissed. "Who the fuck just walks up and starts flirting with a guy's lover right in front of his face?"

The other man took a step back, "Lover?"

"Yeah!" Gemini gave him a shove. "She's _mine_!"

The man held up his hands, "Alright, calm down. I didn't know she was taken."

"Get the hell out of here!" Gemini pointed down the aisle. "You're lucky I'm in such a good mood or else I'd toss you straight out the window for ogling _my_ girl!"

"Sorry," he muttered and turned away. "Jeez. Relax."

"That's right!" Gemini followed him into the aisle, still shouting. "Yeah!" he pointed to Lucy, "See those breasts?! Those are mine too! I get to shove my face in them every night! You hear me? That's _right_!"

"_Gemini_!" Lucy grabbed his wrist and yanked him back down on the seat next to her. Her cheeks were flaming as she glared at her audacious spirits. "Thanks, but you didn't have to go that far!"

He shrugged, "We just did what we could feel Natsu wanting to do."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing special."

Lucy dropped it, "Anyway, Natsu wouldn't haven't said a thing. I think you're getting him confused with Erza."

"Nah," Gemini leaned his head back against the seat, eyes falling on Natsu two seats away. "We're pretty sure our imitation was spot on."

She sighed and leaned into his side. Gemini wrapped his arm around shoulders.

Natsu gulped and stared at the pair intently. Seeing himself with Lucy… the tightness in his chest returned and he rubbed the spot in irritation.

Lucy didn't speak for a prolonged minute. Finally she closed her eyes and murmured, "If it's okay with you… could we stay like this for the rest of the ride?"

"Sure thing Luce," Gemini smirked as Natsu's frown deepened and he crossed his arms over his chest with a huff.

Happy giggled behind his paw, "Someone's jeeeeeeeeealous."

"Shut up," Natsu muttered and looked out the window for the rest of the journey.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So only one person said they liked the song idea. But no one said, "NO DON'T DO THAT IT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA YOU MANIAC" So I've decided to do it! Muwaha! If you have absolutely no desire in it whatsoever, then you can just ignore my suggestions and move along. *sound of a breaking heart barely audible over your echoing footsteps*<strong>

**Okay, so for the people that do want to partake in enjoying high quality music from the finest of artists, *pretentious throat clearing* I'll now give you your first assignment.**

**So I probably won't have a song for EVERY chapter. But I may have a song for every big situation and some small ones too. And since I'm just starting this idea, on these slower chapters I'll throw out some songs that were relevant with the earlier chapters.**

**So today's shared song is 'Hello My Old Heart' by the Oh Hello's. I associate it with the early chapters of Lucy's fights with Natsu and her obvious lack of self confidence in her abilities. I know the song itself is more literal with love and relationships, but I feel like the message of "Hello my old heart, how is it being locked away?" works really well with Lucy's insecurity and fear. And then the verse of "Nothing lasts forever, somethings aren't meant to be. But you'll never find the answers until you set your heart free," pertain to her deciding to be strong on her own in the mission that Natsu ultimately... ruins. Way to fuckin' go, Natsu. ;) So for those of you that actually take the time to check the song out, let me know what your feelings are on it! And if you have your own songs that you think fit well with the story, I'd love to hear about them too! I'm always looking for music to fall in love with. And I also love talking about anything music related. So please share.**

**As always, thank you thank you thank you.**

**I love you all.**

**You matter so much to me.**

**Love-Moo**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Post Tenrou spoiler.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 32<p>

"Sometimes I forget how stupid you are."

Natsu and Happy glanced up from their lunch. Happy with a fish in his mouth and Natsu with half of a loaf of bread in his.

Loke tsked and pulled out the wooden chair across the table from Natsu.

"Hey Loke," He said through his meal. "What's up?"

"I'm assuming you're here looking like…" his eyes behind the blue tinted sunglasses travelled across Natsu's hair and wardrobe before landing on Happy's orange fur. He sighed, "Looking like _that_ because Erza told you to not get caught by Lucy?" He stared at Happy for another second and then shook his head.

"That's right," Natsu swallowed the bread and gulped down a glass of water. He let out a satisfied belch and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket.

Loke rubbed his temples, "So then why did Gemini come back to the celestial spirit world and let me know you were sitting _two seats_ away from Lucy on the train?"

"Natsu wanted to be able to listen in on her conversation," Happy said.

"She was sitting alone! _What conversation?_"

"She wasn't alone!" Natsu scowled. "She had Gemini with her!"

"And it's a good thing they did show up and distracted her," Loke grumbled, leaning on his elbows on the table. "Or else she would've noticed you immediately."

"Nuh uh. I'm disguised."

"You're wearing different clothes and have black hair. You think your face has changed too?"

"Now that he mentions it," Happy examined his friend. "You do still look pretty much the same."

"Ha!" Natsu pointed at him in triumph. "So when you said I looked cool earlier you meant that _I_ actually look really cool and not just my disguise!"

"You caught me, Natsu," Happy smiled.

"_HA_-ha," Natsu grinned as he stuffed a whole potato in his mouth.

Loke leaned back against the chair, "Anyway. What are you doing here?"

"We're following Lucy 'cause Erza told us to," Happy said simply.

"But what are you doing _here_?" Loke pointed down at the table. "In a café. Eating." He looked between them. "You know… while Lucy is over there," he gestured across the street where Lucy stood outside a tall, wrought iron gate.

Natsu glanced at her and then back at Loke, "Well, she was just standin' right there for like two minutes… and we were pretty hungry from the train ride… so we decided to get some lunch while she was obviously trying to make up her mind on whether or not to go inside that garden lookin' thing."

"You waited a whole two minutes?" Loke rubbed his chin, "That's actually about a minute and thirty seconds longer than I expected you to last so…" he shook his head, "Ugh but still! You shouldn't be over here having a good time while Lucy's struggling so much!"

"What do you mean?" Natsu cocked an eyebrow. "She's just standing there."

Loke's scowl deepened and he leaned in the dragon slayer's direction. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

"You pickin' a fight, goggles?" Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"Listen to me, pink for brains," Loke pointed at him. "Do you ever even _see_ Lucy? I mean, _really see her_?"

"What are you talkin' about?"

"It's easy to _look_ at someone. That doesn't take much effort. But _seeing_ is a totally different matter," he stood and smoothed the lapel of his suit. "I've got a challenge for you, Dragon Slayer. While you're following her around, I want you actually pay attention. Look closer. _See_ Lucy."

"That's a weird challenge," Natsu grumbled. "I don't even know what you're talking about."

"You'll figure it out," he shoved his hands into his pockets. "By the way," he nodded across the street. "That place. Do you know what it is?"

Natsu looked at the wrought iron gate crawling with thick ivy. "Dunno. Some kind of garden, right?"

"No," Loke backed away from the table. "That's a cemetery. More specifically, the cemetery where Lucy's parents' graves are located. Right now she's standing outside trying to muster up the courage to go inside and see them." He smiled, "Still think two minutes was enough time to wait?" He let his words sink in and then turned away, "Later."

Loke left the café and Natsu and Happy were alone again.

"Man," Happy said quietly. "Now I feel kind of bad. I didn't know Lucy was having such a hard time… I just thought maybe she was lost or something."

"Yeah…" Natsu rested his cheek in the palm of his hand and stared across the street. Lucy stood with her back to the café, facing the gate. She lowered her head momentarily and then paced to the left, paused, then moved to the right. As she turned, he noticed that she held her pouch of keys in her hands tightly. The knuckles of her fingers were pale.

The gate of the cemetery opened suddenly and Lucy rushed out of the way as two men in suits walked out. She huddled next to the stone wall fence on the right side of the gate, clutching her keys to her chest. Natsu stared closely as she lowered the keys again. She gazed down at them for a moment before biting her bottom lip and strapping them to her belt. She leaned her back against the wall and held her head in her hands for long seconds. Her chest rose and fell faster than normal. Her eyes were squeezed shut and there were thick wrinkles between her brows.

_Oh_, Natsu thought as he watched her.

No. As he _saw _her.

And he realized.

Not everything can be solved with fists and fire.

* * *

><p>"Come on, come on, come on," Lucy whispered, digging her fingers into her hair. "Just… <em>do it<em>." She dropped her hands from her head and opened her eyes. She moved in front of the gate again and took a deep breath.

_I can do this_, she insisted, balling her hands into fists. She reached for the handle to the gate, but fear gripped her and she quickly stepped back again.

"No, no, no, no, no," she smacked her forehead with the heels of her hands. "Stop wimping out!"

Why were her muscles like putty? Her bones quivered and her skin was cold and clammy. She felt sick.

"Unh," she pressed her forearm to her forehead and paced in front of the gate, groaning. "What am I gonna do… what am I gonna _do_?"

"Perhaps I may be of assistance?"

Lucy whirled towards the voice, "Na—"

She stopped when she recognized the tall, goat-like man in the butler suit. Capricorn bowed respectively and straightened.

"Forgive me, Lucy-sama. I decided to make an appearance after noticing your obvious distress." He picked up her suitcase and bag containing her box of letters from where they sat next to the gate. "May I offer my service?"

Tears of relief filled lucy's eyes and she let out a deep breath, "I'm so happy to see you, Capricorn."

"Likewise," he reached out and opened the gate without a moment's hesitation. "Shall we go inside? I, too, would like to pay my respects to my former master."

Lucy nodded fervently. She turned towards the entrance but froze. Fear snaked around her spine and she sucked in a ragged breath.

She looked up at Capricorn. "Sorry… but… could I hold your hand?"

If the spirit was surprised by the request, the mirror lenses on his sunglasses and the stoic form of his face hid it. He shifted the suitcase and bag to his right hand and offered his left.

Lucy wrapped hers in it gratefully. She stared through the entrance of the cemetery for another prolonged minute.

"Lucy-sama," Capricorn said softly. "I'm sure your parents eagerly await you."

The tears stung at her eyes and she looked up at him pleadingly, "I don't want them to be disappointed with what I've been reduced to."

He was silent for a moment before answering, "Such a reduction doesn't exist. If you insist that you are not as you've always been, then I insist that you've grown only more worthy of your mother and father's pride."

She stared into the reflective frames of his glasses for long seconds. Finally, she smiled and gazed forward again.

"I've decided to believe you," she whispered. "For now." She took that first tentative step into the cemetery.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: OMG back to the serious no way? It was bound to happen chilluns. Good thing we still have Natsu's thick thick skull to enjoy as a reprieve from the sob sob story, amiright?<strong>

**Tracks to enjoy:**

* * *

><p><strong>Upon being kidnapped: "Let it Be" by Blackmill<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>While kidnapped: "Arsonist's Lullabye" by Hozier<strong>

** -I imagine this song being in the Broadway musical version of this story. Hahaha not weird at all, I swear. I'll explain.**

** I see Azamin, Natsu, and Kieran like... all being included in the song. But not in a totally cheesy dorky way. More like in a really cool, serious way. They're not singing, someone else is but each verse is centered on a different person, ya know? Like...**

**First verse: Azamin: "When I was a child, I heard voices... Some would sing and some would scream. You soon find you have few choices... I learned the voices died with me."**

**Second verse: Natsu: "When I was a child, I'd sit for hours, staring into open flame. Something in it had a power... could barely tear my eyes away."**

**Chorus: Kieran (while sorta like... addressing or looking at Natsu): "All you have is your fire... and the place you need to reach. Don't you ever tame your demon. But always keep 'em on a leash."**

**Third verse: Azamin: "When I was sixteen, my senses fooled me. Thought gasoline was on my clothes. I knew that something would always rule me... I knew the scent was mine alone."**

**Chorus: Kieran: ****"All you have is your fire... and the place you need to reach. Don't you ever tame your demon. But always keep 'em on a leash."**

**Fourth verse: Natsu: "When I was a man, I thought it ended. When I knew love's perfect ache. But my peace has always depended on all the ashes in my wake."**

**Chorus: Kieran: ****"All you have is your fire... and the place you need to reach. Don't you ever tame your demon. But always keep 'em on a leash."**

* * *

><p><strong>When Lucy and Natsu were in the cage at night, Natsu feeling useless as shit and Lucy feeling guilty about dragging him into the mess: "Safe and Sound" by Sheryl Crow<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>In one of the instances where Lucy succeeds in distracting Natsu, resulting in lighthearted banterfun for them in the midst of hell: "Mess is Mine" by Vance Joy**

* * *

><p><strong>In her final battle against Azamin: "Seven Devils" by Florence + the Machine<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>When meeting back up with the team and the celebration of their arrival back to the guild: "Welcome Home" by Radical Face<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Suggestion from reader 247FairyTail: "Powerless" by Linkin Park for when Lucy and Natsu were locked away and Natsu couldn't do anything to help her. :)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Well that's all for today. If you guys have made it down here and actually take time out to browse through these songs, THANK YOU SO MUCH. It means a lot. I really think music can enhance your reading experience, so it makes me happy to have people share it with me. As you may have noticed, I included that last song by suggestion. If anyone thinks of something that they want me to listen to then please share! I will always listen and always list it with my soundtrack at the end of a chapter!<strong>

**Thanks! Hope you enjoy this chapter and continue enjoying!**

**Love-Moo**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Post Tenrou Spoiler.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 33<p>

Capricorn bowed respectfully to both headstones before taking his place behind Lucy. She gulped, hugging the box of letters to her chest.

"Is everything alright, Princess?" Virgo asked at her side. "Did I not dig the hole deep enough?"

Lucy shook her head, "It's perfect, Virgo. Thank you."

Virgo clasped her hands together and quieted.

After a few moments, Lucy let out a short laugh. She said, "It's weird, isn't it? I've visited my mother's grave plenty of times in the past. And… I've had no problem talking to her and… and just being there…" she bit her lip and cast her eyes to the ground. "But now… I feel like… like I don't…" she let out a deep breath.

Virgo stepped forward and bowed to the graves, "Good afternoon, Sir and Madam. My name is Virgo."

"Virgo what are you do—"

"I am a celestial spirit under contract with your daughter, Princess Lucy Heartfilia," she held up a hand to indicate the blonde mage standing beyond her right shoulder. "Even though I am employed by Princess, I see her as a close friend and have been trying my hardest to cherish her."

Tears filled Lucy's eyes.

"We've been on many adventures together," Virgo went on. "I've seen a great deal of your daughter. And I'm not just referring to that time I found her rolling around naked with her male companion."

"Virgo!"

"I've seen many sides of Princess," Virgo ignored her complaints. "I've seen her cry and laugh. I've seen her hide in fear and stand between her friends and the danger that faced them. Princess treats everyone she meets with kindness. She is a beautiful person inside and out. I've had many masters over the years… but I've never been more proud to be a celestial spirit than when I'm fighting alongside my Princess." She bowed once more, "Sir, Madam, rest assured that I will watch over your daughter for you in the company of her other spirits that also cherish her as much as I do."

Virgo backed away from the graves.

"Virgo…" Lucy wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks. "You didn't have to—"

"Ojou-sama," Capricorn knelt before Layla's grave suddenly. He bowed his head. "I told you many, many years ago that I would serve your child, should he or she ever decide to take up the art of celestial spirit magic." He fell silent for a few moments before saying softly, "I offer my sincerest apologies that it took me so long." He covered his heart with his right hand, "Even though young Lucy took to the art so early in her life… I was not there to support her. I live in regret every day that I was weak enough to fall under the control of Zoldeo. I know that I failed you and I cannot apologize enough."

Lucy took a step towards him, "Capricorn…"

"But…" he lifted his head. "That's all in the past. I am Lucy's now. I will dedicate myself fully to her protection for as long as I live. I promise you that I will never leave her side. I will cast my own life away if it will mean she is safe and happy." He stood, hand still over his heart. He bowed, "Rest peacefully, Ojou-sama, knowing that your daughter has and will continue making you proud."

He backed away.

Lucy hid her face behind her box for a few moments, trying desperately to stop the tears from flowing. Finally, she lowered the box, wiped her nose, and walked forward. She knelt before the hole Virgo had dug next to Layla Heartfilia's headstone.

"Mom," Lucy said, failing to force the quiver out of her voice. "I'm sorry it's taken so long… but…" she smoothed her fingers over the corner of the box. "I haven't forgotten about you. I've… I've been writing you almost every day. I have written all about my new life. About my friends. My family. My guild." She pushed the moisture from her cheeks, eyes wandering over the engraving of her mother's name on the headstone. "I wrote you about… about all the jobs I've been going on. I've seen so much of the world, Mom! I've met so many different people. Seen so many places that I never dreamed I'd see in my lifetime."

She crawled around the hole and reached a hand out. Her fingers brushed the stone, warm from the sun's rays.

"I've wanted to tell you about them all. My new friends," she sniffed. "I want you to know all about them. About Wendy and Carla. Wendy is just a little girl… but she is a dragon slayer and knows how to heal. Carla can see visions of the future!" Her fingers traced the engraving of her mother's name, "I wanted to tell you about Gray, the ice mage. He has a funny habit of taking his clothes off. And there's a girl in love with him that sees me as her rival even though Gray and I are just friends. And Levy, she's one of my closest friends. She is incredibly smart and sweet. She is the one we go to whenever there's a riddle we need to answer," she laughed. "And then there's Gajeel, another dragon slayer. He was kind of scary at first, but he's actually a really nice guy. He is surprisingly good at singing. He and Levy had a pretty checkered past… but I think there's something between them now. No… there's _definitely _something between them now. Even though neither of them would ever admit it."

She smiled, "The master of the guild is incredible. He's itty bitty most of the times but has the ability to grow as big as a mountain! He calls us all his children and would do anything to protect us. Then there's Elfman, Mirajane, and Lisanna. They're like the golden siblings," she giggled and covered her mouth. "Their love for one another is inspiring, Mom. I wish you could see it. And Cana… she may be an alcoholic, but she has a huge heart and can make anything fun." She dropped her hand from the headstone and smiled gently, "I wanted to tell you about Erza. She's the most incredible woman I've ever met, Mom. She's the most beautiful mage I've ever seen and she is so powerful, she can take on _any_thing. Her only weakness is strawberry cake," she laughed. "And if you come between Erza and her strawberry cake, you better watch out!" She sat back on her heels. "And I wanted to tell you about Happy. He's this annoying blue cat that always calls me fat… but he's also really cute. He's pretty good about flying in and saving my butt when I need it. Even though he makes fun of me a lot, I know he cares for me."

"And Mom…" Lucy's chin quivered. "I wanted to tell you about Natsu," she dropped the box on the ground and covered her eyes as new tears pooled over. "I wanted to tell you _so much_ about him," she clenched her teeth. "Like how he saves me," she lowered her hands once more. "He saves me almost every single day. He's my closest friend and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. I never would've been able to join Fairy Tail if it weren't for him. I wouldn't be as strong as I am today if it weren't for him. He…" she closed her eyes. "Sometimes he's the only thing keeping me from completely losing myself." She opened her eyes again, "I really wish you could've met him, Mom."

She reached out and pressed her right hand to her mother's name.

"I wanted to tell you," she whispered. "I wanted you to know that I'm not alone. Even though you and Dad are gone…" she glanced at her father's grave. Her voice lowered even more. "I'm not alone." Tears blurred her vision. "_I'm not alone_."

She sat in silence for a long minute, sniffing and wiping the tears from her face. Finally, she lifted the box once more and went to the hole Virgo had dug. She placed the box inside and pushed dirt over the top of it. When the hole was filled once more, she patted the soil down and stood. She wiped her hands on her jean shorts and then walked in front of her father's headstone.

"Dad," she whispered. "I'm sorry we fought so much after Mom died. I'm sorry I ran away from home and treated you like a stranger. I wanted you to know that I forgive you for everything you've done." She brushed a leaf from the top of the headstone gently. "I wish we could've spent more time together. I'm sorry I was gone for seven years. I wanted to see you again. I wanted to talk to you again. I wanted to make everything right between us." She leaned against the stone, hiding her face in her arms. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you got sick." Her voice cracked. "And even though I'm sorry for how things were between us… Thank you. _Thank you_… because I was able to leave… and live this life that I've come to love so much."

* * *

><p>Lucy spent another hour in the cemetery.<p>

"Natsu," Happy whispered in his friend's ear. "I think there's a bug crawling on my back."

"Bear with it a little longer, Buddy," Natsu whispered back. He shifted his position in the tree, trying not to shake the branches too much. Their hiding spot was the perfect distance, just three graves over from Lucy's parents.

"Natsu, it's crawling up my neck. Can you get it for me?" Happy asked.

"Shh, hold up. I think they're leaving." Natsu watched as Lucy stood. Capricorn picked up her suitcase and Virgo waved and disappeared. They waited silently until both left the cemetery.

When Lucy was out of sight, Happy dropped from the tree, swiping at his back in panic. "Get it off! Get it off!"

Natsu dropped next to him and casually flicked the giant spider from his friend's neck.

"Happy," he said. "I need you to follow Lucy for me."

"Huh? But what're you gonna do?"

Natsu turned his eyes to Layla and Jude Heartfilia's headstones.

Happy faced the exit of the cemetery, "I'll follow her. Hurry up, though, okay?"

"Aye Sir."

Happy took off on all fours, grumbling about foxes.

Natsu approached the graves and sat down in front of them. He rested his hands in his lap and read the names slowly. Finally, he said,

"Hi."

He reached up and scratched his head sheepishly. He grinned, "My name's Natsu Dragneel. I'm a friend of Lucy's. Uhm…" he looked away. "I thought I'd just come and introduce myself and…"

He turned back to the headstones and gave a small smile, "She's special to me. So you don't gotta worry about her. I'll keep her safe."

His smile slowly faded, "I know you probably can't just stop worrying just like that… especially since she seemed so sad today… But that's another thing I'm gonna do. I'm gonna make her smile again. Not just smile. I'm gonna make her laugh. And she's going to be happy. I swear." He cast his eyes down to his hands, limp in his lap. "I've done some things. Things that I can't take back, things that are gonna follow me around for the rest of my life." He smiled brightly, "But I don't regret them. I made my choices out of the love I feel for my friends. And maybe I do feel a little different in here," he pointed at his chest. "And sometimes I see things in my sleep that I wish I could forget. Sometimes I feel really old and tired… and scared. And I know I've never been considered very smart in the past so people might think that I'm just empty headed and dumb…" he scratched his head again. "But I'm smart when it comes to the important things. And the most important things to me are my friends." He stood and punched the palm of his left hand with his right fist. His mouth stretched wide in a mischievous grin, "So you can just go ahead and rest peacefully, like the goat said. 'Cause you bet your ass I'm gonna keep my promise and protect Lucy 'til I'm dead in the ground like you guys." He turned towards the exit, throwing a wave over his shoulder. "Later!"

Natsu ran off to join Happy.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I got some great music suggestions yesterday! Thanks so much! I love that you guys are getting in to the music thing! Woo hoo! Here's some more for you!<strong>

**Tracks to cry to ;)**

* * *

><p><strong>"Make it Rain" by Ed Sheeran<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"I Can Feel Your Pain" by Manchester Orchestra<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Fear" by Blue October<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Suggestions made by FaeBo:<strong>

**"Beware the Dog" by the Griswolds**

**"Adelaide" by Meg Myers**

**"Anna Sun" by Walk the Moon**

**"R U Mine?" by Arctic Monkeys**

**"Cardiac Arrest" by Bad Suns**

* * *

><p><strong>Once again, thank you everyone for your support! This is so fun writing for you! You are the only reason I'm still going, for rillz. ;)<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Did you have a good visit?"

Lucy gave Loke a warm smile, "Yeah… it was nice." She turned her face up towards the sun. A breeze ruffled her blonde hair, "I feel… refreshed."

"Good. So then you'll be returning home now?"

Lucy clasped her hands behind her back and casually kicked her feet at the cobblestones she slowly walked over. "No."

Loke frowned, "But why not?"

She avoided his stare, glancing over the rolling scenery on the other side of the fence to her left, "I just have some things I want to do."

"Like what?"

She shrugged, "Just… stuff. I guess."

"Lucy…"

She looked up at him, "It's fine, isn't it? It's not like I'm in danger. What are you worrying about?"

He sighed, "I'm not worried about your safety anymore. I'm worried about your motives for not wanting to go home."

She stared forward again. "Well, what's _home_ anyway?" she mumbled.

"What?"

"I've had more than one home before," she said. "This place for example," she gestured around her. "I used to call this place home. Did you know that? What's to keep me from calling it that once more?"

"What are you saying? You don't plan to return to Magnolia?" Loke's eyes widened. "Lucy!"

"I didn't say that," she looked away. "I never said that. I just… I just need some more time." Her eyes followed a pair of sparrows chasing one another across the sky which was turning a soft orange pink as the day stretched on. "I have some things I need to figure out. That's all. And when I figure them out, I'll come home. I promise."

Loke's voice lowered, "Which home?"

She gulped and turned her gaze down, "I guess I'll figure that out too…"

Loke watched her for a moment. Her eyes glistened and she cleared her throat, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin.

Finally, he paused, bowed, and said, "I'll follow you wherever you go."

Lucy bit her lip and whispered, "Thank you."

He glanced up as his body started to fade, "I'm not the only one."

He disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Hey Natsu?"<p>

"What is it, Happy?"

"Uhm… I was just wondering…"

"Yeah?"

Happy sighed, "_Why the heck are we sleeping out here_?"

Natsu rolled onto his side on the shingles of the hotel's roof. "What's wrong? Are you cold or somethin'?"

He groaned, "Why do we gotta sleep on the roof?"

"This is the hotel Lucy's stayin' in," Natsu answered simply.

"Why don't we rent a room then?"

"What if she sneaks out and we miss her?"

"What if the owner of the hotel sees us sleeping on his roof?"

"I'll kick his ass."

"Then Lucy'll _know _you are around."

"Why? Just because some guy got his ass kicked?"

"You're the only one pigheaded enough to assault an innocent man just because he told you not to sleep on his roof."

"Bah," Natsu stretched out on his back, stacking his hands under his head. He stared up at the starlit sky, "What do you care anyway? You're a cat. You can sleep anywhere."

There was no reply.

Natsu sat up, "Happy?"

The cat was passed out on his stomach, arms and legs stretched out spread eagle. A small bubble grew from his nose.

"You're already asleep?!" Natsu's mouth dropped open. He grumbled and lay back. "See? This is what I'm talkin' about. Quit your complainin'…"

He sighed and stared up at the night sky. His eyes wandered over the stars, searching for the constellations that Lucy had once pointed out to him one night as they camped out on a job.

_"Look!" Lucy pointed excitedly at a small cluster of stars above Natsu's head._

_"Look at what?" he cocked an eyebrow. "I just see a bunch of stars."_

_"Exactly!" she laughed. "No… look where I'm pointing. There's nine stars making this shape…" she moved her hand, following the path of the stars. "It looks like a wonky box with a little hook on top. Do you see it?"_

_Natsu turned his head to the side, trying to see the stars from Lucy's position. They were lying in the grass, bodies pointing opposite directions, ears nearly touching as their heads rested side by side._

_"I think so…" he said. "The one that kinda looks like a mouse with its tail up?"_

_"Yeah!" Lucy giggled and reexamined the stars. "I didn't notice that before…"_

_"It's a high class mouse," Natsu grinned. "He's fancy. On his way to a party with violin music and butlers walking around with cakes and sparkling champagne."_

_Lucy laughed, "And pretty ladies dancing in puffy ball gowns?"_

_"Yeah and fat guys in tuxedos talking about weather and politics."_

_"Oh man," Lucy shook her head. "Now I feel bad, considering that's Loke's constellation. Leo the lion."_

_"No kiddin?!" Natsu turned his head again. "It looks nothin' like a lion though!"_

_"Well look over there!" Lucy pointed off to the side. "See those stars that go like this?" she made a straight line and then added two branches on one side._

_"Think so…"_

_"That's Virgo!"_

_"Nuh uh!"_

_"Yeah huh!"_

_Natsu stared intently at the constellation. "Hmm… if you look at it upside down… it looks like a waterfall."_

_"Does it?" Lucy cocked her head, bumping his jaw with her forehead. "Oh yeah… it does kinda look like that, huh?"_

_"Or, or," Natsu grinned. "If you make a circle up there," he pointed. "Then it looks like a stick guy falling off of a cliff!"_

_They both laughed._

_"Maybe that was his _punishment_," Lucy suggested._

_They laughed harder._

_"Did you say punishment, Princess?" Virgo's head emerged from the ground a meter away. Dirt rolled off of her pink hair and Lucy screamed in surprise._

_"Virgo! What are you doing here?"_

_She blinked, "I heard my name and punishment and came immediately. Are you going to punish me?"_

_"No!" Lucy waved her key, "Go home!"_

Natsu smiled as his eyes fell on the familiar constellation. He sat up excitedly, "Lucy! I found Virgo!" He turned, grin stretching his mouth wide. But the only thing behind him was a snoring blue cat trying to pass as a fox.

Natsu's grin slowly disappeared. He reached up and rubbed the tight spot in his chest.

_Where is she_? He looked towards the quiet street below the roof. _Is she okay_?

He glanced in Happy's direction one more time before silently sliding down the shingles to the edge of the roof. He bent his torso over the edge, holding on with the toes of his boots and his fingers clasped around the gutter. Before him was a window leading in to a small hotel room dimly lit with a candle on a small end table next to a twin sized bed. Natsu didn't have to search long to find her.

Lucy was curled up in bed, blonde hair flared out over the pillow like a fan. Her eyes were closed, and her facial features were relaxed and peaceful.

Natsu sighed in relief at the sight of her.

_She's safe_.

Too bad that thought wasn't enough to help him sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Omg listen to my horror story. Last night I was gonna type up this chapter. Like I usually do. I either write around one-twoish when my neighbors have had enough of my alcohol and ramen and decide to go home. *shakes fist at sky* Damn you leaches! So I whipped out my laptop, which, other than my phone and Wii-U, is my only connection to internet things. And I don't know if you've ever tried to write things on your phoneWii-U... it's not easy. Really not worth the effort, honestly. Well anyway... This thing... this lunky ol' thing has been by my side since I was in the eighth grade... Okay let me do the math here... Uhm... I'm 20... 21-ish now... and in eighth grade I was probably 13? Maybe? So yeah. Das lots o' yers. I've literally spent the better half of my life on this thing. And I've only used it for internet these past two-three years. That's right. This baby was a home for my writing. Outside of fanfiction I write lots of stuff. Stories up the wa-fuckin-zoo. No seriously... I can average this out to me spending about three-ish hours EVERY DAY FOR SEVEN-EIGHT-ISH YEARS TYPING ON THIS SHITTY TOSHIBA. And that's just an average. Sometimes I'd spend the ENTIRE day on this bad boy.**

**Anyway... Me and Toshi have been together a while. He's survived a lot. Like that time I left him in the car for several hours in one hundred degree weather and pretty much fried him to high hell and had to get him refurbished. And then all the trojan viruses he's gotten over the years... so many I can't count... But lately... conveniently around the time I got a certain fluff ball of hate called my cat... the place where the charger connects has been smashed in. At first, I was sent into panic mode. **

**"NASHI, NASHI, YOU SON OF A BITCH," I ranted at that kitten that sat so innocently on my chest like she owned the place... **

**But then... I was like... "Pshhh... I can make it work." I'm one of those people that hates new things. Weird, amIright? No... I mean it. I have a pair of sneakers that I've had as long as Toshi. And I still wear them. Every day. Also I've been holding my brother's collection of Avatar: the Last Airbender DVD's hostage for many years because even though I have the money to buy my own, and yes he's been asking for them back... they just look so nice and rustic on my shelf, ya know? And don't get me started on that car of mine. Sure, the brakes don't work. And it's about forty years old. And it once spun a 180 in the snow... And sure... my dad ended up having to confiscate it and drag me off to a car dealership to find a new one... but Claryse is still the owner of my car heart. Mark my words. SO FURTHERMORE AND ALL THAT GOOD CRAP... I was like, "We can get through this, Toshi."**

**I discovered that I could get the charger to still charge if I jammed it in real tight and didn't touch it for as long as I was on it. Who knew. But then last night... last night... I plugged the charger in... tip-typed away until I had to go to the bathroom. So I placed Toshi on the floor, pranced off to the potty, and when I returned... Toshi wasn't charging anymore.**

**In a panic, I jammed the charger inside, twisted it around, sacrificed a virgin, bathed myself in blood, and did a rain dance for the gods... but nothing worked. Also the charging area inside the computer was super loose and just had that sound of... "Fuck it. I'm done." **

**Heartbroken, I resorted immediately to browsing Best Buy's website for a new laptop. Then once my phone started to die, I resigned to bed and swore to buy something the next day.**

**Next day: Woe is me. My beloved Toshi was ruined and I only had enough battery life to maybe get all of my files (Oh lawd too many) onto a flash drive (or six...) to transfer to another laptop when I bought it. Because hey, foresight is lame and I haven't once backed up my files in these seven-eight-ish years I've owned this mother fucker. (Despite the prodding of my brother, mother, father, sister, friends, random strangers on the street, Jesus Christ our savior)**

**Then... THEN... because I'm a goddamn idiot... the man of the house decided to check the OTHER end of the charger.**

**"It's not plugged in," he announced.**

**"Wut." my life paused from flashing before my eyes.**

**He plugged the charger into the wall and checked the lights of the laptop. "It's charging."**

**That motherfuckin' cat of mine pulled the charger out of the wall while I was in the bathroom. SERIOUSLY?!**

**But still. Rainbows shot out of my mouth. Stars fell from my eyes. Glory to the Lord and all his disciples. Toshi's still truckin' along. **

**Okay, that's my story. Sorry it's probably longer than the actual chapter.**

**Anyway... In my distress, I didn't have time to think up any songs, nor listen to the suggested songs from reviews. So I will compile them all for the next chapter. Until next time my Fairies.**

**Love-Moo**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"The _Eastern Moonlight Festival_," Lucy read the flyer slowly. She tapped her fingers on her thigh. "It's that time again… huh…"

"I'm really sorry Lucy. But can I ask what the _Eastern Moonlight Festival _is?" Aries rubbed her knees together nervously, tugging at the fluffy pink wool around her neck.

"It's a street festival they put on every year around this time," she explained to her spirit. "There's lots of games, fried food, dancing, music, and competitions," she crossed her arms over her chest. "It's pretty fun, actually. They usually get some kind of big entertainment to perform too. It lasts about a week, and they shoot off fireworks at the end of every night."

"Oh," Aries fidgeted, "Fireworks are so loud and scary."

"That may be true," Lucy smiled, "But they're also beautiful."

Aries glanced around at the people that passed by on the street, "Yes… I agree. And… I hope it's okay, but I think the same can be said about _you, _Lucy."

She cocked her head to the side, "That I'm loud and scary?"

"And beautiful! I'm very sorry!" Aries squeezed her eyes shut and her hands into fists. "Sorry!"

Lucy laughed, "Thanks."

She lowered her hands and tugged on the hem of her wool dress, "Uhm… so Lucy… are you planning on going to this festival?"

Lucy turned back to the flyer, "Hmm… I've been to it once before, many years ago… and I really had a lot of fun. So… maybe I will go. Since I'm in town anyway." She grinned, "Might as well!"

Aries smiled slightly, "I hope it's okay, but I think it's great to see Lucy smiling again. I'm really sorry!"

Lucy laughed and looked away to hide the uncertainty that crossed her face, "Thanks… Aries."

* * *

><p>"Gee… you're not lookin' so good, Natsu," Happy sat next to his friend on the street bench.<p>

Natsu lifted his head from the backrest of the bench. Dark circles padded the skin under his eyes, "Eh?" he blinked slowly. His eyelids moved lethargically, as if lifting was too great a task. His face was pallid and his black hair was dull and lacked any of its usual personality. It was flat and drooped down around his sweaty forehead.

"Are you sick or somethin'?" Happy climbed onto his shoulder and touched his forehead. "You really don't look good at all."

Natsu wiped the sweat away and scoffed, "I'm _fiiiiiiine_. I'm just kinda tired."

"Kinda?" Happy sat on the back of the bench.

He sighed and leaned forward on his knees. He rubbed his face in his hands, "Okay… a little more than kinda." He looked at the cat in disguise, "I don't know how much longer I can last, Buddy. When's Lucy gonna come home? I haven't slept all week! This is one of the hardest jobs I've ever taken on!"

"Yeah," Happy kicked his feet back and forth. "I'm getting kind of tired of following her around. She's really boring. All she ever does is walk around, nap in the park, and talk with her spirits. I hate to admit it, but I was kind of hoping she'd be doing something really interesting or at least dangerous or maybe just involving fish… then I wouldn't be so bored."

Natsu gazed across the street silently. Lucy was sitting at a table on the second floor patio of the café directly across from them. Plue sat on her lap as she gently turned the pages of the book opened on the table before her. Occasionally she sipped from a mug or nibbled on a slice of banana bread.

Natsu sighed again and ruffled his tired hair with both hands. He glared at the ground and muttered, "I just really wanna burn shit."

Happy stared up at the sky, "I just really want to fly around."

Natsu pursed his lips and glanced at his friend, "Then go fly around."

"But we're on the job…"

"I'll stay here," he covered a yawn with his hand. "Don't think I could move from this spot if I wanted to anyway. And besides… it's kind of suspicious for a weird lookin' fox to be hanging out on a street bench in the middle of town."

"Alright!" Happy ignored being called weird looking and jumped off of the bench. "Thanks Natsu! I'll go fly around outside of town! And I'll go fishing too! And I'll bring some back for you!"

Natsu smiled and waved his hand, "Okay Buddy. I'll see you later then."

"Fish, fish, fish," Happy sang as he ran off down the street.

Natsu watched him go until he turned the corner. Then he changed his attention to Lucy once more. She hadn't moved from her spot. He wanted nothing more than to lose his disguise and reveal his presence to her… but at the same time… He leaned back on the bench, rubbing his damp palms on the coarse fabric of his jeans. He didn't want to cause more trouble for Lucy. He had an aching feeling in the back of his neck that he was a little too involved with that sad look in her eyes.

If he approached her, would he be ready to own up to his mistakes?

He shook his head and then draped one arm over his eyes, "First I gotta figure out what I'm doing wrong."

* * *

><p>"I figured you'd be the ones to show up for this," Lucy crossed her arms over her chest.<p>

"Big brother picked out my yukata," Virgo lifted her hand and displayed the red headed man to her right. "He said white and black suits me best."

Lucy examined her spirit's outfit, "Well… it does look good on you."

Loke fluffed his hair with a smirk, "Of course. I know what I'm doing. Although I admit usually I'd rather do the _un_dressing—"

"Don't make me regret inviting you to this."

Loke closed his mouth.

Virgo lifted her other hand, indicating the bed behind her, "Princess, aren't you going to wear the yukata Big Brother picked out for you?"

Lucy glanced at the fabric laid out across the bed. She approached it slowly. "Hmmm…." She ran her eyes along the length of the sleeves, across the front, down to the hem. "Probably not."

"Aw, why not?" Loke joined her next to the bed. "Is there something wrong with it?"

Lucy tapped her fingers on her bicep, "It's not that there's anything wrong with it… I'm just curious," she reached out and stroked the silky sash. "What's with the pattern scheme?"

"Do you not like it? I think it's perfect for you."

"I agree, Princess," Virgo stood on her other side. "It suits you."

"It suits me?" Lucy lifted the yukata and held it in front of her face. "Really? You think so? Because I've never been told that red is my color. Nor have I ever been told that I'd look good covered head to toe in flames."

Loke looked at the fiery theme of the outfit, "Sure… it signifies how hot you are."

"And also how quickly you lose your temper," Virgo added. "As if you were set on fire."

"I think you guys are just trying to get me to think about a certain pink haired hooligan that happens to eat the subject of this yukata," Lucy folded the fabric over her arm and cocked an eyebrow at Loke. "Am I right?"

He shrugged, "You're not _wrong_."

"I shouldn't have pushed you," Virgo said. "It must be time for my punishment now."

"Oh hush," Lucy headed for the bathroom. "Since you took the time to bring it here, I'll wear it. But don't think that I'm gonna rush home suddenly because I miss that idiot!"

Loke called after, "So you admit you miss him!"

"I admit I won't go home because of it!"

She shut herself in the bathroom to change.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Haha I have no idea what I'm doing. Just to let you guys know. I'm basically like you at this point. Constantly thinking, "Hmmm I wonder what's going to happen next." Because if you think I have a plan... man are you sorely mistaken. But that's the beauty of writing... at some point, the characters take over and tell the story to you. ;) I just hope it turns out well in the end.<strong>

**Thanks everybody for your laptop horror stories! And for being worried about Toshi with me. I actually went out and bought a new laptop yesterday. You know what I hate? Change. Like holy crap. I spent about an hour in Best Buy trying out every single keyboard in that joint. Because I'm picky. And I need the 'end' button next to my pinky. I NEED IT. Also I need a normal sized backspace button so that when I fuck up I won't reach up and write "=======" instead of erasing that mess. Also I hate the new layouts that the new laptops offer. You know... that lame screen that has a bunch of colorful boxes of apps that you don't even WANT on your computer but they added on there anyway? Like things about COOKING?! Bitch please... Ramen errday! UGH hate it. As soon as I got Ovo up and running, I immediately reverted back to the normal looking desktop, slapped a picture of Natsu as my background, and deleted every short cut that wasn't Google Chrome or my document folder. And The Man was trying to explain some of the new features to me and I'm just like, "Hmhm. Yep. Okay. Yeah. So how do I delete it so I don't have to ever see it again?"**

**YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I HATE?! THAT NEW LAPTOPS DON'T INCLUDE MICROSOFT OFFICE ON THEM. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. HOW LONG HAS THIS NONSENSE BEEN GOING ON? Sure... Toshi is still rigged up to Microsoft office 2007 so it's a bit... outdated. But I LIKE Microsoft Office '07. But now I have to pay a shit ton of cash just to get Word on my computer? Seriously? Word is literally the only thing I even USE on my computer. Except Google Chrome occasionally. And usually only for this website right here. Or YouTube for cat videos. Very rarely for Facebook... Anyway...**

**WHO MAKES THESE LAME ASS DECISIONS AND WHERE CAN I FIND HIM AND SET HIS ASS ON FIRE?!**

**Anyway, Nashi is upset that I won't let her step foot on Ovo. She's been glaring at me for about half an hour now.**

**Oh and don't you guys worry. I'm keeping Toshi. Until that trooper explodes and can be fixed no more... that motherfucker is workin' for ME. It's gonna come in handy when the free trial of Microsoft Office '13 expires on Ovo.**

**Anyway, I still didn't do any music scouting. But I do have a few suggestions from a reader that I'll list. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggestions made by 13Pie:<strong>

**"Everything She Wants" by Saint Raymond**

**"Fall at Your Feet" by Saint Raymond**

**"Letting Go" by Saint Raymond**

**"Twenty Years" by Bad Suns**

**"Transpose" by Bad Suns**

* * *

><p><strong>I really liked listening to these songs and all of the others that have been suggested to me, so thank you everybody! And by all means, keep it up! New music is one of my favorite things! :D<strong>

**Remember that you are always welcome to message me for any reason. I'll always write back! The reason I don't really answer reviews that much is because that's a lot of work... and I'm not really sure if you even EXPECT me to answer them. But rest assured, I'm always reading them. And smiling. Because you guys are awesome. And you spoil me. Oh STAHP it you. ;) So if you do want me to reply to anything you say, let me know and I totally will! Or just shoot me a message. Both work.**

**Love-Moo**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

"Natsu look!" Happy plastered himself to the glass wall of the tank. "FISH!"

"That's nice, Buddy," Natsu lifted a torch from the pole of the tent. He slurped up the flames casually, pausing to wipe his mouth and say, "Hey, these aren't half bad!"

Happy glanced at him, "Natsu! You're gonna blow your cover like that!"

"Said the fox drooling over the flounder," Natsu finished off the torch and replaced the cool nub back where he found it.

"Foxes eat fish too!"

"Do they?"

"Don't know."

Natsu looked around at the tent. "C'mon, we should go find Lucy. She'll probably be here soon. Now that I've got some fire in my belly, I feel a little more energetic," he rubbed the bags under his bloodshot eyes.

"Hmmmm," Happy turned back to the fish. "But…"

Natsu scowled, "You'd rather sit here staring at fish all night?"

"Fish are ten million times more interesting than Lucy," he said. "Besides, she'll probably just look at a bunch of different clothes, listen to the music, eat way more cake than she ought to, and then watch the fireworks. That sounds _super _boring to me." He pressed his paws against the glass and leaned his face close, "I'd rather take my chances with the fish."

Natsu sighed, "Whatever. Fine. You hang out here and _I'll _follow Lucy around. You know… like the job says."

"The reward is a fight with Erza," Happy pointed out. "I won't exactly be heartbroken if I don't get to take part in that."

Natsu stacked his hands behind his head and turned, "Fine, fine. I'll catch up with you later! Don't draw too much attention to yourself!"

"Aye Sir!" drool dripped down the cat's chin.

Natsu walked out onto the street once more. It was packed. People crowded around the multiple booths set up on the sidewalks. Natsu's eyes fell on a pair of women with arms hooked together as they walked by. They were dressed from head to toe in traditional yukatas of the brightest greens and pinks he had ever seen. He watched them walk away and then moved along with the crowd. Music was booming from somewhere down the street. A warm glow cast over the town from the lanterns floating above.

"Masks! Masks! Get ya masks over here!"

Natsu looked towards the shout. A man stood behind the counter of a booth on the left of the street. The booth was covered in colorful wooden masks. The man threw his arms out wide as customers loitered about, browsing his wares. "It just ain't the Eastern Moonlight Festival without a traditional moonlight mask!" he grinned as a man handed over a handful of money.

"Hey," Natsu grinned, "Just what I need!"

He pushed through the crowd and searched through the masks. His eyes followed the booth's pillar slowly upwards. "Hmm…" his gaze caught sight of a red mask. "Ah _ha_!" He jumped and hooked his fingers on the edge. He pulled it down and grinned in satisfaction at his find.

He turned to the man running the booth, "Hey! I'll take this one!"

"A wonderful choice my good man!" he said. "That's the only one of that design! You have good eyes!"

Natsu handed over payment and slipped the mask over his face, leaving only his black hair visible. He turned towards the street and melded into the crowd.

* * *

><p>"Uhh, Loke?" Lucy dug her fingernails into her spirit's arm as she lost her balance for what must have been the sixth time in the past hour. "Why did you make me wear these shoes?"<p>

"It completes the look!" he replied, gazing down at the wooden, elevated sandals. "You're supposed to wear geta with a yukata!"

"They're so hard to walk in though!" Lucy whined as she stumbled again.

"Would you like me to carry you in my arms, Princess?" Virgo offered.

"No thanks!" Lucy growled. She watched the pink haired maid clomp around uncertainly. "As if you are any better at walking in them than I am!"

Loke's arm pulled from Lucy's grasp and she looked at him. He moved away, waving at a pair of women in flamboyant yukatas. "Ladies!" he called. "Let me be your guide tonight!"

"Hey!" Lucy said. "Come back here you stupid lion!"

He ignored her and promptly disappeared into the fray. Lucy let out an annoyed huff and turned. "Can you believe that, Virgo? He just ditched us!"

When she didn't receive a reply, she looked around, "Virgo?" The woman was nowhere to be found.

Lucy's jaw dropped, "_Are you kidding me_?" she spun circles. "They both just _left me_?" She grabbed a bundle of the fabric of her yukata in both hands and stomped unsurely off in her wooden sandals. "_Oh when I find them I'm gonna…_"

"Here we go!" A man threw an arm around Lucy's waist and dragged her through the bustling streets.

"Ah!" Lucy could barely keep up with him as he pulled her along. "Who are you?"

The man grinned down at her. He had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes, "If you don't hurry up, you're gonna miss the competition!"

"What competition?" her mind was racing. How had she gotten caught up like this? Who was this guy?

"The beauty competition!" he answered gleefully.

"Ehhhh?" Lucy tugged against him, "B-but… what beauty competition? I didn't enter any kind of competition!"

"Of course you didn't!" he laughed. "I'm one of the lucky few that has the pleasure of scouting out and nominating certain beauties I find in the crowd! You should feel flattered that I picked you out for my one nomination!"

"Oh, well…" Lucy stumbled but the man's arm around her waist kept her steady. "I _am _flattered. But… I don't think I want to be included in some kind of beauty competition. You can use your nomination on someone else—"

"Hey Bora!" the man lifted Lucy's arm and waved it around. "Found you another nominee!"

"Bora?" Lucy frowned. Now where had she heard that name before?

The man pulled her across a wide open part of the street and up to a wooden stage erected beyond. Women stood together on top of it, giggling.

"Perfect!" a man in a cape whirled towards them. He flipped his dark blue hair and held out a hand. "Bring the beauty up here and we will get her information!"

Lucy's jaw hit the floor. "Wait a minute!" she pointed up at him. Her eyes flew across his familiar face and landed on the tattoo over his right eyebrow. "You're that guy that pretended to be Natsu and tried to sell me into slavery!"

Bora's face drained of color, "Oh jeez… You again…"

Lucy reached for her keys, "I'm gonna knock you around!"

"Hold up!" Bora lifted his hands pleadingly. "Yeah, I was a bad guy back then… but I've reformed myself!" he flipped his hair. "My time in jail really opened my eyes. I am a law abiding citizen now. And I'm just the host of this beauty pageant."

Lucy hesitated, but then straightened, "Well… I guess I'll believe you. For now. But do one wrong move and I'll—"

"Yeah, yeah," he took her hand and pulled her up onto the stage. "You'll kick my ass. Got it. Now get in position with the other ladies and we will get started soon."

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and joined the other women on the stage. She stood silently for a minute as the street in front of the stage filled with people all looking forward to voting in the pageant. It was getting really crowded. Not just on the street, but on the stage too, where more and more nominees gathered. Lucy scowled when she noticed the blonde man that had roped her into the competition ushering more girls to the stage.

"One nomination my ass," she grumbled.

Another couple of minutes passed and the amount of women on the stage was ridiculous. She was getting bumped left and right.

Suddenly she realized, "Hey! I don't even want to _be _in this stupid competition!" she turned and stomped towards the edge of the stage. "I'm getting out of here…" She elbowed her way through the women until she was almost to the stairs. "There we go," she murmured.

But she never made it. A woman in a forest green yukata bumped into Lucy's hip, sending her off balance. She squeaked and rushed to correct herself, but her feet slipped in the impossible wooden shoes and she plunged backwards, arms wind milling as her left foot hit the edge of the stage at an angle and her body pitched backwards.

_Uh oh_, she flailed her arms as she seemed to fall in slow motion. She reached towards the stage, but no one was close enough to grab on to. Lucy was alone with her thoughts as she plummeted back towards the hard cobbled street below.

_No,_ she thought._ Grab on to me. Pull me back up… _if she hadn't run off alone, there would be someone there. Someone beside her to lift her up. To pull her back on stage, tease her for her clumsiness. Someone to grab her hand…

But there was no one. Lucy was alone. And she fell from the stage like a graceless sack of gravel.

"_Oomph,_" Lucy let out the grunt as a hard arm caught her around the back. The bend of her knees hooked on a muscled thigh, and a shadow fell over Lucy's vision as another arm flew up and curled around her head, fingers sliding through her blonde hair. The ornate hairpins that had gathered her hair into a neat bun were gently knocked loose and fell away. Warmth spread over her entire body as she was tucked closely against a hard chest.

Lucy held still for a moment, reeling from the shock.

_Someone caught me._ She blinked rapidly, peering up at the pale neck leaning over her. Her savior shifted his position, pulling his arm away from her head slowly. Lucy stared into the face of a red, scaly dragon. _Igneel_. The name flew across her mind for just a split second before she recovered. No. It was a mask. A wooden mask detailing the visage of a horned dragon. A lock of blonde hair slid into her eyes and her savior bushed it tenderly away without hesitation.

"Th-thank you," Lucy breathed.

As if just remembering that he was kneeling in the midst of a crowded street, the man released her and scooted away. Lucy sat on her heels and pushed at her wild hair. The man was dressed in simple dark blue jeans and a long red jacket. Behind the mask, she could see a hint of shaggy black hair.

"Thank you for saving me," she said again, gathering up the pins that had fallen out of her hair. She struggled to her feet. The man quickly joined her, offering an arm to steady her as her legs quivered. She gratefully took it, sighing in relief. "Sorry," she said. "I think I'm still a little shaken. I totally thought I was going to brain myself!"

He didn't say anything.

She glanced up at the mask again. _Natsu would _love_ that mask_…

"Hey, can I ask you where you got your mask?"

He was silent.

"See I have this friend that I think would really like to have a mask like it," she went on. "He's a dragon slayer. So I was wondering if the booth you got this one had more like it?"

He shook his head slowly.

"No?" she frowned. "This was the last one?"

He nodded.

"Can I buy it from you?" she pulled out the small silken coin purse she kept tucked away inside her sash. "I'll match what you bought it for…"

He shook his head.

"No? Okay…" she pursed her lips. "Alright, I'll pay you double."

He shook his head.

"Triple?"

He shook his head.

She sighed and replaced her purse. "I don't think I can afford quadruple…" She smiled, "Oh well. It's fine." Realizing that she was still gripping his arm, she quickly released him, "Oh! Sorry!" She tried to take a step backwards, but someone bumped her and she pitched forward with a shriek.

Lucy fell into the man's chest again and his arms wrapped around her tightly.

_Wow_, she blinked against his collarbone. _He's so warm_… Her eyes slowly closed as she deeply inhaled his scent. He smelled faintly of campfire and the clean night air.

He shielded her head as the crowd suddenly got rowdy, jumping and cheering wildly. The voting for the beauty pageant had begun. Everyone pressed towards the edge of the stage. The man kept one arm firmly around her as he shoved their way through the boisterous audience.

Finally they broke through into a less crowded part of the street festival. Lucy breathed out a sigh of relief and the man released her once again.

"Thanks!" she grinned up at him. "It's getting pretty crazy, isn't it?"

He nodded.

She examined him closely for a second. "You don't talk a lot, do you?"

He didn't answer.

"Are you here alone?"

He shook his head.

"Oh. Then you should probably go find your companion then… huh?" She tried to hide the disappointment from her face and voice.

He shook his head.

She stared up at him for long seconds. "Do… uh… do you want to hang out with me then?"

He stared at her.

Her cheeks flushed, "Well… it's just… I came with two of my friends but they ditched me. And I kinda have this problem with getting roped into stupid situations, as you may have noticed with that whole beauty pageant thing… And usually I have someone around that keeps me out of those kinds of situations but…" she scratched her head sheepishly. "Obviously I'm alone right now."

The man was silent.

Lucy fidgeted, losing her balance momentarily and then righting herself. "If you don't want to, it's fine. I'll manage on my own. I could go find my friends or…"

The man grabbed her hand and tugged her down the street. She stumbled as she tried to keep up, "Uhh… where are we going?"

He winded through the festival goers, ignoring her complaints. Finally, he stopped at a tent decorated with colorful silk shawls and glittering jewelry. The man entered the tent and went to a barrel. He released her hand.

"What are we—" Lucy stopped when she noticed he was reaching inside the barrel. He rustled around inside for a few seconds head bowed over the round opening.

He eventually straightened, pulling his arm out of the barrel. In his hands was a pair of bright red sandals. He turned and offered them to her.

Lucy took them in surprise. She glanced up at him. "I…" she smiled. "Thank you. This is actually exactly what I wanted right now." She laughed, "I guess there's no denying my obvious clumsiness in these things!" she gestured at the geta. "Wait here! I'll go pay for them!"

She bought the sandals and the two of them left the tent. After Lucy changed out of the geta, she turned to the man with a bright smile.

"So what should we do first?"

He shrugged.

She looked around, "Hmm… Oh!" she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along excitedly. "Let's go try this game!"

They stopped at a booth and the man running it instantly thrust two water guns at them. "It's easy! It's easy!" he announced. "You and your partner face off against another team," he gestured at two guys standing on the opposite side of the booth with identical looking water guns. "All you gotta do is aim for that little ball in the center of the pool," he pointed at the large basin of water in the middle of the booth. "Succeed in getting the ball to your opponent's net over there… and you win a prize!"

Lucy held her gun up, "Alright! Let's do this!"

The man slammed his right foot up on the counter of the booth, shoving the butt of the gun against his shoulder and leaning forward in an intense pose. Lucy laughed.

"Are both teams ready?" the booth owner stepped back.

The opposite team chimed in their agreement and Lucy said, "_Aye Sir_!"

"Ready… _Go_!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: AHHHHHHH HELP MEEEEE<strong>

**I have to go and talk at this thing tomorrow and I'm FREAKIN' OUT MAN. A former professor of mine asked me to come talk to these people that are all into writing and that good crap and of course, being the angel that I am, I was like, "Aye Sir!" and so now I have to put on pants, show up in a place I've never been, and talk to people I've never met.**

**As a hardcore introvert, I don't think my heart can take it. Please Lord Almighty give me strength to not puke. I mean... sure. It's a compliment, right? They want to listen to me blab about stuff. Huge compliment. But... I have this silly habit of making myself sick over stupid things. And I'm definitely so nervous that I might not be able to sleep tonight. I'm gonna be like Natsu without Lucy. Ugh. That's why I've already written this other chapter and am posting it now rather than tomorrow. I've spent all day trying to keep myself from busy so I wouldn't think about it. I wrote... I watched Fairy Tail... I ate cheetos... A good, productive day if I say so myself.**

**Anyway, for all of you guys out there with scary responsibilities to deal with, I'm rootin' for you.**

**Tracks to enjoy:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Unsteady" by X Ambassadors<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Stars" by The xx<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>More suggestions by 13Pie:<strong>

**"Settle Down"-**

**"You"-**

**"She Way Out"-**

**"Chocolate"- all by The 1975**

* * *

><p><strong>"Like Real People Do" by Hozier (Omg I'm so happy you also love this song! EEEEEEEeeeEEEeEEeeeeeeeEEE!)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Venice" by The Lighthouse and The Whaler<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for the suggestions! I love them all! :D<strong>

**Also, I just realized that my two suggestions for today both have 'X' band names. Weird.**

**Okay! So, Merry Christmas to everybody. Two chapters out in one day. Wow. I'm so cool. I am a benevolent fanfic writer. I expect three sacrifices by morning.**

**Love-Moo**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Natsu never realized how hard it would be to not talk for hours on end.

There were several instances when he almost blew his cover that night. As he and Lucy repeatedly wiped out foe after foe on the festival battlefield, running the booths dry of prizes… he wanted to woop in excitement and laugh maniacally but… he had to be silent.

A voiceless stranger.

And man did he hate it.

"I almost feel bad," Lucy admitted as they dropped onto a bench at the end of the night. She placed all of the prizes she had won down beside her and leaned back with a sigh. "I mean… we really cleaned everybody out. I didn't think we'd be some kind of magical wonder duo," she laughed. "Nobody even stood a chance against us!"

_I knew we'd be some kind of magical wonder duo,_ Natsu thought sourly.

She stretched her feet with a groan, "Oh man. My feet are killing me! I'm gonna sleep well tonight!"

_I probably won't._

She looked up into the sky. "Wow, the stars are so pretty tonight." They observed them for a moment before she sighed. "That reminds me… I wonder where my friends got off to…"

_Happy's probably still ogling those fish…_ Natsu scratched the back of his head.

Lucy glanced over at him and smiled wide, "Thanks for hanging out with me tonight! I had so much fun! More fun than I've had in a long time."

He hesitated and then gave a nod. She looked back up at the stars, but Natsu continued to watch her. Her red yukata was covered in little orange flames.

_Lucy looks good in fire_, he thought. His eyes wandered up her bare neck to her slightly smiling face. Her eyes were closed and a small breeze ruffled her blonde hair. Natsu's chest tightened and he forced himself to look away. _Too good_, he rubbed his collar. _Those flames are makin' me hungry._

They sat in silence for long, long minutes. Natsu's eyelids were demanding to slide shut, and he fought to keep them open. _So tired_… His head bobbed and he shook it rapidly. _And she's right there…_ He wanted nothing more than to drape himself right over her lap and fall asleep. But she'd probably give him a good Lucy kick and send him flying.

"Hey…" Lucy's voice startled him awake.

He glanced over at her. She was staring down at the ground, pushing a rock around with her feet.

"This might be weird," she murmured. "But… I was wondering if I could just talk at you for a little bit?" She looked up at him. Her brown eyes locked on the place Natsu's gaze peered through the mask. "It's just… There're some things that are on my mind. And I can't find the courage to tell the people I'm close to… so since you're a stranger… I thought it might help if I talked to you…"

Natsu hesitated, but then gave her a nod.

She gulped and looked away again. "Well… you see… I ran away from home. I work in a guild, and I'm really close to all of its members… but I just left and didn't tell anybody where I was going. I'm sure they're all really worried about me…" her voice lowered, "Especially since I haven't really been myself lately…"

She reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear. "But I have just been feeling like… like I am having a hard time belonging." She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again, looking down at her hands. "No… No… that's not true." She turned her right hand over, examining the pink guild mark branded there. "If there's one place I belong… it's Fairy Tail."

Relief flooded through Natsu's chest.

"But…" she tugged on her yukata. "I'm the cause of a lot of pain. I caused a lot of trouble for my guild in the past and I always somehow got through it. My friends fought for me and kept me close and made me feel wanted… And it didn't matter that I was a problem magnet. Because they never blamed me. And that helped me not blame myself." She sighed, "But something happened recently that affected me and someone I'm really, really close to." She closed her eyes. "Probably the person I'm closest to in this world."

Natsu swallowed the lump in his throat and scratched the back of his neck.

"Something terrible happened to us and I'm the cause of it all. It's my fault and my fault alone that we had to go through hell."

It took everything he had to keep from arguing.

"And this time…" she went on, "the blame won't go away. Even though everyone insists to me every day that it's not my fault… there was nothing I could do… all that matters is that I'm safe…" She leaned over and held her head in her hands. "Even though they say that… I just… can't force myself to believe it. And every day I see my friend struggle with the results of my mistake and it _kills _me inside. Every time I see his face, I'm reminded of how I failed him. And so…" she looked up. "I ran away. Just like the coward I am. Even though he's hurting. Even though he can't sleep at night without me around. Even though I'm sure he's going _crazy_ looking for me… I ran away." Tears filled her eyes and her voice turned to a whisper. "And I don't know how to force myself to go back. I'm too selfish… too selfish to let myself see him and feel the guilt again. _Because I don't want to hate myself_." She reached up and wiped at her eyes. "I'd rather he hate me. Because once _I _hate myself, there's no point to even being here anymore, is there?"

Natsu stood suddenly.

Lucy looked up at him in surprise.

He moved in front of her and held one hand up.

"What…" she blinked at him.

He pointed at her and indicated at the bench. He held both hands up and slowly backed away.

"You want me to wait here?" she asked. "Okay… but…"

Natsu turned and ran off down the street.

Once he reached the bustling festival once more, he yanked the dragon mask from his face. His teeth were clenched, causing a vein in his cheek to bulge.

"_Stupid_," he muttered. "_Why are you so stupid, Lucy_?" he made his way through the crowds until he found the booth he was looking for. He quickly pulled down a simple moon mask and paid the man behind the counter.

"Thank you for your patronage!" he called as Natsu turned and stomped back in the direction he came. He pulled the moon mask on and adjusted it so that it was comfortable.

"_Stupid_," he grumbled again. As if he could ever hate her. Just the thought pissed him off. When she finally came home, he was going to give her a piece of his mind. _Or the entire thing_, the thought flashed through his mind. He didn't stop to wonder at what it meant.

He hurried back to the bench. Lucy looked up expectantly as he rushed over. At first, she seemed to grow nervous at the sight of the unfamiliar mask, but then her eyes wandered over his outfit and she recognized him.

"What did you—"

Natsu paused in front of her and held the dragon mask out. Lucy stared at it for a moment and then slowly took it.

"What's this for?" she whispered.

_You better deliver it to me in person_, Natsu thought. He stood there for a few more moments until he saw the understanding cross her features.

She hugged the mask to her chest, new tears rising in her glossy brown eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Natsu nodded and then turned. He walked away just as the first of the fireworks exploded in the sky above.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Well everybody, the thing was okay! It was actually pretty fun. Everyone was really attentive and asked me easy questions. So YAY! But also wahh because I worried for nothing. Laaaaame. Anyway, I'm watching the Road to El Dorado right now and so won't waste any more time yammering down here.<strong>

**Tracks to listen to:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Don't Let Them See You Cry" By Manchester Orchestra<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Shallows" by Daughter<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>And that's all! Love you all!<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Lucy ran her fingers over the smooth contours of the dragon mask. Could she really give it to Natsu? To go home… and to see him again…

She groaned and held the mask to her face, pressing her forehead against it. How could she face him? She was so _stupid_. Why did she always have to freak out and cause problems? He ought to be _furious _with her. She just left, after all. Without warning… without explanation… she just… _left_.

"_I'm so stupid_," she moaned. She smacked the mask against her forehead. "_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._"

But it didn't change the way she felt. If the guilt of making her friends worry was enough to make her forget the pain she had caused… then she'd be back at Fairy Tail right now. As much as she wanted to, she just couldn't feel better.

"I'm sorry, everyone," she murmured, lowering the mask to her lap.

"Lucy?"

She lifted her head at the sound of the voice. A man with dark green, spiky hair stood in the center of the street before her. He was dressed in a simple brown leather jacket and a pair of close fitting tan pants. His bright hazel eyes were wide as he stared at her.

Lucy slowly stood, "G-Garric?"

In two strides, he closed the space between them and swept her up in his arms for a tight hug.

He closed his eyes as he held her close, burying his fingers in her soft hair. "I thought I'd never see you again…" he whispered breathlessly.

And just like that… Lucy ran into her old home.

* * *

><p>"Where's Lucy?"<p>

"How should I know?"

Loke pressed his fingers to his temples, "Isn't it your _job _to keep an eye on her?"

Natsu yawned and rubbed his knuckles against his eyes, "I was with her up 'til the fireworks. I had to go find Happy. I thought I'd meet her here at the hotel."

Loke walked to the edge of the roof and peered over the edge, "Damn it… I can't find that woman _anywhere_."

"She should be on her way back here, right?" Happy asked. "Maybe she's just walking slow? It is _Lucy _we're talking about…"

"Wait," Natsu sat up, resting his arms on his knees, "Are you telling me that Lucy's been gone this whole time?" He jumped to his feet. "_Where the hell is she_?"

"That's what I was asking _you_!" Loke whirled to him. "It's the middle of the night and she hasn't come back! Why did you leave her alone?"

"The festival was over!" Natsu threw his arms out wide. "I thought she'd come straight back!"

"How have you ever managed to complete a job, _ever_?" Loke moved close to the dragon slayer. "You're only responsibility is to watch over her! And you can't even do that!"

"I usually have _Lucy _around to keep me on track!" Natsu turned away from him, clutching his hair with his fingers. "_Shit_! Why does she keep leaving me?!"

Loke sighed, "Natsu… calm down."

"I'm going to look for her," Natsu pulled his jacket on and didn't hesitate before jumping down from the roof.

Loke looked to Happy.

The cat shrugged, "I think the lack of sleep is making him grouchy."

Loke nodded, "Yeah. Really grouchy."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it's you," Garric leaned on his elbows on the table. His eyes scrutinized Lucy's face. "You look exactly the same as when I last saw you nine years ago…"<p>

She smiled sheepishly, "Yeah well… I went on hiatus for about seven years…"

He reached over and covered her hand with his, "It's _so good_ to see you again. I… I've thought about you so much all these years."

Heat rushed to her cheeks and she looked away. "O-oh…"

"How have you been? Where did you go after you left the guild?"

Lucy fidgeted on the chair, "Uhm well, I kind of joined a mage's guild."

He blinked in surprise, "You did? But… to work for a mage's guild, don't you have to take on violent, dangerous jobs?"

She shrugged and casually slipped her hand out from under his, "Occasionally. But there are other jobs that don't include a lot of danger."

He nodded, "So you just take those all of the time." He said it as if it was a god given fact.

"Uhm," she scratched her head, "Actually…"

"_Lucy_?"

The sound of the other voice drew both of their attention.

A woman in a pink yukata ran across the pub, waving her arms excitedly. "EEEEEeeeeeeee!"

Lucy didn't have time to prepare before she was being bowled over.

"Calica!" Lucy hugged the woman back.

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy!" she squealed, wiggling all over. "_I've missed you so much_!"

Lucy laughed, "I've missed you too!"

"Is that Lucy? No way…"

Two men and three women joined them. They all crowded around Lucy and the woman on the ground.

"She looks the same!" one of the women exclaimed.

"No way! I can't believe it's actually her!"

"Lucy! How've you been?"

Outside, Natsu heard Lucy's name being called. He turned to the pub across the street and quickly ran to the door. As he entered, his eyes fell on the group of people across the room. He easily ignored everyone but the blonde on the ground. He took three long steps into the bar with the intent of grabbing Lucy and dragging her somewhere he could scold her for being out so late… but a man with dark green hair beat him to the punch.

Natsu paused as the stranger helped Lucy to her feet and gently brushed off her shoulders. The way he smiled down at her made Natsu's stomach twist and turn.

"I'm so glad you've come back to us!" a small woman with orange hair hugged Lucy around the waist.

_Come back to us_? Natsu quickly melded into the shadowy corner of the pub. _What does she mean by that_? How did these people know Lucy? _His _Lucy?

"It's really nice to see you all again," Lucy said, hugging the woman back.

_Again_? How did Lucy know these people?

"Does this mean you're returning to the Clarity Knight guild?" one of the men asked.

Natsu's jaw dropped. _Lucy belonged to another guild before she came to Fairy Tail?! _He hesitated. He had never heard of Clarity Knight before though. Were they even a mage's guild?

"I'm actually just visiting," Lucy said.

"Awhhh," the group collectively groaned in disappointment.

She chuckled, "Sorry! I was actually planning on leaving tomorrow…"

Natsu perked. Lucy was coming home!

"You have to stay!" the man with green hair demanded. "We just barely met up again! At least stay another week so we can catch up!"

"Yeah!" everyone else agreed.

_No_! Natsu desperately wanted to jump in on the conversation, but restrained himself.

"Well…" Lucy tugged on the sleeve of her fiery yukata. "I guess it wouldn't hurt if I stayed a _few _more days…"

The group cheered and Natsu slumped against the wall of the pub. He was _never_ going to get any sleep…

* * *

><p>"She met up with people from her past?" Happy and Loke exclaimed.<p>

"Yeah," Natsu grumbled. "Supposedly she used to be a part of a guild before she came to Fairy Tail. They called it Dairy Night or something like that."

"I assume you're talking about Clarity Knight," Loke said.

"Have you heard of them, Loke?" Happy asked, climbing into Natsu's lap.

"Yeah," Loke leaned back on the palms of his hands on the roof. "They're a merchant's guild. Back when I was banned from the celestial spirit world, they were pretty small, but I guess they've really gained fame in the past few years in this part of Fiore."

"So Lucy used to work for a merchant's guild?" Happy frowned.

"It would seem so."

Natsu scowled, "She was gonna go back to Fairy Tail tomorrow before she ran into those jackasses! Now she might not leave for another week!" He clenched his hands into fists. "I should give that green haired bastard a piece of my mind!"

"Calm down, Natsu," Loke said. "The job still stands. Hang out in the shadows and watch her. She'll come home eventually."

Natsu grumbled and looked away. "She better."

* * *

><p>Lucy spent the next few days at the same pub, catching up with the people of her past. Natsu watched and listened from a table in the corner of the room, face shrouded in the hood of a cloak Loke demanded he wear to keep his identity secret.<p>

As the days stretched on, Natsu grew weaker and weaker. Only catching one or two hours of sleep each night was taking a toll on the dragon slayer's mind and body. He became grouchier and grouchier, even banning Happy from coming with him to the pub. Not that the cat minded. Since the festival was still going on, he resigned himself to fish watching every day.

On the fourth night, Lucy's former guild mates dropped a bomb Natsu had no desire to catch.

"So Lucy," the girl with the curly orange hair leaned close to the blonde, green eyes wide. "Are you still in love with Garric?"

The goblet in Natsu's hand promptly burst into flames. He smothered it quickly, patting it out with his other hand.

"Wh-what?" Lucy stammered. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on," a man in a knit hat said with a grin. "You were totally head over heels for the guy back in the day."

"Yeah!" another girl said. "I remember you used to follow him around everywhere and blush like crazy when he talked to you and then there was that one time that you asked him out on a date but he didn't realize it was a date and took you with him to do business in Hargeon."

Lucy groaned and slumped over the table as everyone laughed.

"Yeah…" she muttered. "I remember that… I was so embarrassed. I wore my best dress and everything."

"What did you ever see in him anyway?" the redhead asked. "I mean… sure, he's really cute. But he's so _dense_!"

"I guess I just have a thing for dense guys," she said quietly.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," she sighed. "I don't know… he was so professional, and he could make a deal with _anybody_. I guess he kind of reminded me of my dad."

"I thought you hated your dad."

"I didn't hate him…" she played with her hair absently. "Sure, I was furious with him around the time I left. But… I still loved him. And I loved a lot of things about him. Like his drive and determination. But he was just obsessed with money. That was his biggest downfall. His need to make more money overshadowed his need to love others." She stared down at the table. "But, he got better. I feel like… like we really understood each other in the end."

"So…" the redhead looked at her companions and then back to Lucy, "Do you still like Garric?"

Lucy's cheeks flushed red.

"You do!" she exclaimed. "You totally do! That's the look you'd always get when he'd talk to you!"

"No it's not!" she hid her face in her hands. "Shut up Calica!"

"Awww," one of the men said. "I bet he'll be thrilled to hear this."

"Hear what?" Lucy looked to him, "No seriously, I don't have feelings for him anymore! I admit that I did… back then… but… now…"

"Oh come on, Lucy," Calica rolled her eyes. "What's not to like? He's just as sweet and driven as he was back then. And he also got cuter with age. You gotta admit it."

"But—"

"Don't tell me you already have a boyfriend?"

Lucy's face turned a deep red.

_Yes! _Natsu wanted to scream across the pub. _Yeah she fuckin does! Now back off!_ He gulped down the remaining liquid that wasn't burned away in his goblet and then looked away. _Not that she actually does_… he added. _But… still_.

"Well…" Lucy gripped her hands together, "There is someone…"

_What_? Natsu fought the urge to leap to his feet and throw a table to the rafters. _Which asshole is it?!_

"Oh my God, really?" Calica's mouth dropped open.

Lucy shook her head, "It's nothing. It's not… romantic. It probably never will be."

"Then what's to stop you from dating Garric?" knit cap asked. "Trust us, he's not quite as dense as he used to be. And if you asked him on a date now, he'd drop any business he's in to take you out."

"I don't think…"

"What's goin' on over here?" the green haired man joined the table with a drink in his hand. "Sorry I'm late," he said as he pulled out the chair next to Lucy's and sat down. "I had some business to finish up with one of our sister guilds."

"Oh Garric," Calica grinned. "We were just talking about you!"

"You were?" he took a drink with an eyebrow cocked. "Good things I hope?"

"Remember back in the day when Lucy was in love with you and you never realized it?"

Garric choked on his drink and started coughing.

"Yeah," knit cap smirked. "He remembers."

Natsu stared at Lucy's face. Her cheeks were bright red, her eyes cast down. She cleared her throat and rubbed her bicep. Garric got ahold of his lungs and glanced over at her. Their eyes met momentarily and then they looked away. Garric scratched the back of his head. His mouth stretched into a small smile.

Lucy's did too.

Natsu's goblet burst into flames again and he hid it under the table.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Well well well. What do we have here? Methinks a little drama on the horizon?<strong>

**I went to the Bridal Expo in my town yesterday. And since I'm already married, I got to lie to dozens of people so I could enter to win a big prize for brides-to-be. Haha diabolical, am I right? My Mom was a little bit horrified on how easily I made stuff up when talking to all of the vendors. Apparently I've just gotten engaged, am planning for a winter wedding, want my colors to be mint green and burgundy, want to wear an ivory ball gown with a sweetheart neckline, and will only get married in a barn type setting. After I faked out a lady asking about where I plan to honeymoon, my mom's friend seriously looked at me and was like, "Wow. You're so great..." **

**Feel proud of my lying skills. After all, liars make the best writers! The art of making things up on the spot is a valuable skill to have. Any of you have good "I lied and got away with it" stories to share? :)**

**Tracks to fawn over:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Hate Me" by Blue October<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Bulletproof Weeks" by Matt Nathanson<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Exposed" by Kelly Sweet<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Talking in Code" by Margot and the Nuclear So and So's<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Bother" by Stone Sour<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>And that's enough for today. Even though I have MILLIONS more. Meh heh heh heh heh<strong>

**As always, I love you all. You are the light of my life. Review and message me and whatever. I never get tired from hearing from you. THANK YOU!**

**Love-Moo**


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

"Why did you come too?"

Happy sat on the table and nibbled on a blue fish. "The festival's over now," he said in disappointment. "They took the delicious looking fish off of display. So I thought I'd come see if Lucy got any less boring." He looked up at his friend. "Well? Has she?"

Natsu stared dejectedly across the room and didn't answer.

Happy followed the direction of his gaze. Lucy sat at a table, surrounded by her old friends. They laughed and joked. Lucy's face was brighter than Happy had seen it in a long time. He looked back to Natsu, who slumped over his table, resting his chin in the crook of his elbow, peering over his arm sourly.

"They're different from us," he said, eyes darting away. "They're quieter and calmer. They hug a lot and don't start fights."

Happy didn't reply.

"They're not mages. They don't go on dangerous missions. They don't ever have to face certain death or watch their friends get hurt. They get to enjoy peace every day." He glared back at the group, eyes falling on Garric as he laughed at Lucy's side.

"And that green haired guy," he continued, voice lowered. "He's tall, huh? And he doesn't yell or force her to do stupid stunts with him either. I bet if he went to visit her at her apartment, he'd knock on her door like a normal person."

"Natsu…" Happy interrupted. "Are you comparing him to yourself?"

"I'm just sayin'," he grumbled, sitting up again. His face fell, "I'm just sayin'… this place is nice. And it wouldn't be all that surprising if Lucy decided she liked it better than Fairy Tail…"

"_What_?" Happy's mouth dropped open. "What are you _saying_, Natsu? That's crazy talk! There's no better place than Fairy Tail!"

"I know that!" he crossed his arms over his chest. "But… with everything that's happened to her these past couple of months… who's to say that Lucy wouldn't rather just stay here? Where it's safe?"

Happy ducked his head, tail drooping, "I don't want Lucy to leave Fairy Tail…"

Natsu gulped. His heart ached in his chest, "Yeah. Me either, Buddy."

* * *

><p>"Alright!" Calica stood and clapped her hands together. "Karaoke time!"<p>

"Karaoke?" Lucy blinked at her.

"Yeah!" the redhead went to the small stage erected on the far right side of the pub. "The owner of the bar lets us sing and dance and play music all night!"

"Does he really?" Lucy chuckled. "_You_?"

Calica laughed, "Yeah, I know. I'm not very good at it. But it's still fun!"

"We're pretty much pros at it by now," Ardis winked at her. "Once we were performing all night and people were actually throwing money at us."

"No kidding?"

"You should sing a song!" Calica exclaimed, grabbing the lacrima microphone from its place on the stage. "It's fun!"

"Ah," Lucy held up her hands. "No… No thanks. I don't know any songs."

"Dang," she pouted.

"Guess you'll just have to dance then," Garric stood and offered his hand. "Come on, I'll join you."

"Then I'll sing first!" Calica jumped onto the stage.

Lucy took Garric's hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "Okay but… I'm not great at dancing. Just a warning."

"That's alright. It's not like I'm all that graceful on my feet either."

Music boomed through the bar suddenly. Lucy jumped and let out a surprised squeak. She glanced up at the stage, but Calica stood alone, bumping her hips from side to side to the beat of the music.

Lucy looked back to Garric, "Where's that coming from?"

"The mic," he answered. "The songs are programmed into the lacrima inside the microphone. So all the singer has to do is say the name of the song she wants to sing and the music will start playing automatically."

Lucy gaped at the small red rod in her friend's hand. "Incredible!"

Garric wrapped an arm around her waist and took her left hand, pulling her closer. They started to sway to the music as Calica belted out the words to the song, completely off tune.

"I thought you work for a mage's guild?" Garric cocked an eyebrow. "A lacrima mic surprises you?"

Lucy blushed, "I've seen a lot of incredible magic over the years… but most of it comes from the people casting it. I'm still pretty impressed when I see magical items like that."

Garric smiled, "Tell me more about your guild." He spun her in a circle.

She stared at his chin, "Well… it's a lot different from this place. There's a lot of fighting. And drinking. And before the end of every night, something is usually set on fire."

Garric paled, "Is… is that so?"

She laughed, "My guild members are a rowdy bunch. But they mean well."

"And what about the jobs you go on? Are they hard?"

"Sometimes," she smiled. "My team is known to take on some pretty difficult jobs. In fact… once I went on an S Class job with my partner when we weren't supposed to. We ran into a frozen demon that was being resurrected on an island! That was scary. But then another one of our guild members hunted us down and dragged us back to the guild."

"Lucy…" Garric frowned. "It sounds so dangerous… is it really okay for you to participate in such things?"

She blinked at him, "Well… yeah. I mean… I know they're dangerous… but—"

"Aren't you just a celestial spirit mage?"

Lucy gulped and ducked her head, "I'm strong. Stronger than I look."

"But it just sounds like there is a lot of fighting and—"

"I know how to take care of myself, Garric," she interrupted. "I know I look weak, but I've learned a lot over the years. I've grown. And I've become an incredibly powerful mage."

"I… I'm sorry," he said. "I just…" he sighed. "I'm just worried about you."

She looked up at him and their eyes met.

"Lucy…" he whispered. "I've missed you so much. I've thought about you every single day since you left us. The guild was never the same without you. I missed seeing your face. I missed hearing your voice… your laughter. I missed seeing the way you'd lean over your notes during meetings… and the way you'd hold your pencil behind your ear," he reached up and brushed her blonde hair gently back. His fingers lingered on the back of her head.

Their dancing came to a stop. Garric reached up with his other hand and tenderly stroked the pale skin of her neck. "All this time…" he murmured. "I've wanted nothing more than to touch you."

_Whoa, whoa, whoa_! Lucy's mind was in a flurry. _What do I do_? _I need to stop him! Or… do I? _She blinked rapidly. _Of course I have to stop him! I mean, sure… I had a huge crush on him when I was younger and I would've given _anything _to just know what it would feel like to kiss those lips but…_ Her mind wandered off as her eyes fell on his lips. _Oh God… oh God…_

Garric cupped her jaw in his hands and slowly lowered his head.

_Oh God, Oh God,_ she squeezed her eyes shut._ Wait, wait, wait, wait!_ _This is my first… I can't! Not with him… he's not the one I—_

Garric suddenly released Lucy and dove to the ground. A wooden table soared through the air where his body once stood before smashing heavily into the bar's counter behind him. Lucy gave a little shriek and jumped backwards, whirling in the direction the table came.

Garric claimed his legs once more and pointed across the pub, "So! You finally reveal yourself, stalker!"

He leapt to the side to avoid the two chairs that came flying next.

Lucy followed Garric's point to a man in a long black cloak on the opposite side of the room.

Garric quickly moved between her and mysterious man. "_Why have you been following Lucy around_?" he demanded. "I won't let you touch her!"

"_THAT'S IT!_"

Lucy gasped as the voice echoed through the pub.

The man exploded into a burning mass of flames. The force of the fire blew the hood from his head. Lucy watched with wide eyes as the heat singed every last remnant of the black dye from the man's wild pink hair.

He pointed at Garric, arm coated in hissing, crackling flames, "_DON'T YOU DARE STAND BETWEEN US,_ _GRASS HEAD! I'M GONNA WIPE THE FLOOR WITH YOU!_"

Tears rose in Lucy's eyes. "N-Natsu…"

"_DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME, TURF NOGGIN!_" Natsu continued to bellow. _"I'M GONNA FRY YOU UP AND SELL YOU FOR HALF OFF, YOU DISCOUNTED ASHY PIECE OF SHIT!"_

Lucy darted around Garric and ran across the pub.

"_AND THEN I'M GONNA—_" Natsu stopped when he noticed the blonde rushing towards him. He barely had time to snuff out his flames before she threw herself against his chest. He was knocked back a few steps at the force of her hug. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as she buried her face in his collarbone.

The tightness in Natsu's chest was almost crippling. He let out several gasps for breath before he was able to calm the rapid pounding of his heart. He clutched Lucy strongly around the shoulders and mashed his face in the top of her head, breathing in her delicate, flowery smell. His knees turned to pudding. It took every ounce of strength he had to keep himself upright.

It was Lucy. Lucy. Oh God, _Lucy_.

She was safe and in his grasp. Solid and soft and smelling the way she always did. So delicate and… and… Wait. It was _Lucy_. Natsu's eyes rolled back as his legs gave out and he lost his battle with unconsciousness.

Lucy let out a squeak as Natsu suddenly went limp in her arms. She tightened her grasp and leaned back, supporting the dragon slayer's weight as his arms slid lifelessly down her back and then hung over her shoulders like wet noodles.

"Natsu?" she squeezed him fervently. "_Natsu?_"

"He's okay," a voice drew her attention over the unconscious man's shoulder. Happy waved, "Hey Lucy."

"H-Happy?" she stared at his dyed fur. "Why are you red?"

"I'm supposed to be a fox," he answered.

"O-oh…"

Happy smiled and stared at Natsu. "It's good to see him finally get some sleep."

Lucy gulped and buried her face in the crook of Natsu's neck, squeezing her eyes shut.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "This is all my fault…"

"Lucy?" Garric called. "Wh-what's going on?"

Lucy pushed her face tighter against Natsu's skin. _I can't face him right now…_

"Allow me to explain," a new voice said.

Loke entered the bar, drawing the attention of Lucy's former guild mates. He smiled charmingly, "That guy is Lucy's fiancé."

"_EHHHHH_?"

_I'm going to fucking kill him_, Lucy opened her eyes and glared at the wall.

Happy covered his mouth with his paws to hold in his snickering.

"That's right," Loke continued. "He proposed under the rainbow blossoms. Lucy had been wanting some commitment for a while, actually. She even made up the lie that she was pregnant with his child to push him into it…"

_I'm going to fucking MURDER him_, Lucy dug her nails into Natsu's back. The sleeping dragon didn't even stir.

"But in the end, after they started planning everything, she got cold feet and ran away," Loke shook his head. "Natsu chased after her, keeping his distance while watching over and protecting her all the while." He sighed and pushed his sunglasses up his nose. "But the poor man… he has come down with some kind of terrible sickness. A sickness that can only be healed by lying in the arms of his beloved for no less than ten hours."

_There's no way they're going to buy this shit_…

"Is it SARS?" Calica asked.

_ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! _Lucy gaped.

"That sounds familiar," Loke nodded. "I'm positive that's what it is."

"Poor guy…" Ardis murmured. "I had no idea Lucy was such a heartless woman…"

"To leave her fiancé when he had such an illness," Calica wiped at the moisture forming in her eyes. "Lucy, how could you?"

"A truly evil woman…" Loke nodded seriously.

"Oh can it!" Lucy twisted to glare at him. "I had my reasons for leaving! And I always intended to come back!"

Loke smiled tenderly at her, "If only Natsu knew that all this time."

She gulped.

"I'm sure he wouldn't have worried nearly half as much as he did."

She buried her face in his shoulder again, "I'm sorry…"

"SO!" Loke clapped his hands. "My butler here…"

Capricorn appeared out of thin air and bowed. Lucy's former guild mates gasped at his appearance.

"Capricorn will assist the lady and her fiancé back to her hotel where she shall work to dispel the sickness that has befallen him. Isn't that right, Lucy?"

She glanced at him. He smiled encouragingly. She swallowed and looked to Garric. He looked so confused. _Sorry Garric_… she nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

Capricorn took Natsu from her and the dragon slayer almost instantly started squirming, moaning gently. Lucy reached out and took his hand and he calmed.

Happy giggled, "He _loooooooooves_ her!"

_I'm going to kill him_, Lucy's cheeks flared red.

"Happy," Loke called the cat over. "Come. Let us entertain our new friends in Lucy's absence."

"Aye Sir!" Happy's wings sprouted from his back and he flew across the bar.

Lucy followed Capricorn to the door, throwing one last look back at Garric. His hazel eyes were sad as he watched her.

Natsu's hand squeezed hers and she turned away.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: To be honest, I have no idea how I feel about this chapter. I wrote it in a sleepy haze last night and this morning I reread it and was surprised that it wasn't riddled with spelling errors and things like, "Yeah. okay sure that's what happened so what you wanna fight about it you stupid asshole?" because that's sort of the direction my mind turns when I'm tired out my ass. I would spend all day today refining it so that I am a little more sure on it... but I'm a rolling stone, and I kinda just want to move on to the next thing. So if you absolutely hate it, sorry. I have failed you and brought dishonor to my family. If you love it, let me know to ease my mind and I shall grace you with a blessing for your first born child.<strong>

**Anyway, whew I am just so lethargic right now. Also my cat is fervently INSISTING that she needs to tromp all over the keyboard right this very second and it's seriously a war to keep her away. Oh wait, now she's cleaning herself as she sits on my chest. No, it's fine. This is a totally comfortable position. I love looking at your crazy flexible yoga nonsense as you get that hard to reach spot between your back legs. Carry on. Carry on. AH COME ON, She just sneezed all over the screen. Ugh... I'm never having children. Uh oh... now she's staring up at me with those cute golden half moon eyes... No. I mustn't give in. She's an evil bitch that woke me up with affectionate face clawing this morning. Mustn't give in... GAH I can't resist snuggling her stupid face! **

**Oh... she ran away. Note to self: love is her bane. This will be useful information the next time she wants to write my stories for me.**

**Okay, sorry I'm boring. I don't really have any music... do I? I mean... I've been listening to this trippy jazzy/bollywood stuff. I honestly cannot begin to explain why I'm listening to it, nor can I tell you where I found it. All I know is that I love it. Holy crap. I'm gonna list it anyway, just so you guys can experience the glory of it if you so choose. Dang. Now I want to get up and dance. Harah cha cha**

**The Tracks:**

**"The Darkness" by The Cat Empire**

**"Fishies" by the Cat Empire**

**"The Wine Song" by The Cat Empire**

**Okay, basically every song by The Cat Empire.**

**Phenomenal. Feel like I'm in a carnival. Oh dang, I should've listed these when Lucy and Natsu were kicking people's asses at the festival. Oh well.**

**Alright, as usual, I love ya. You are the wind beneath my wings. The fire in my belly. The Fairy of my Tail. So thanks for the read, hope you like this chapter even though I'm still a little skeptical about it...**

**LOVE-Moo**


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Natsu was dead.

Dead asleep that is.

Lucy watched him for a little while, sitting next to him on the twin bed. His face was gaunt and there were giant dark circles under his eyes. His hair was flat and dull. She reached out and gently smoothed her fingers over his forehead, pushing his pink locks back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, stroking his furrowed brow. "But I guess I know now that you weren't bluffing," she smiled sadly. "Don't worry. I won't leave again."

She silently slid out of the bed and went to her suitcase. She quickly changed out of her tank top and skirt and dressed in a simple t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts. She sighed and turned back towards the bed.

Natsu was on his side, watching her.

Steam started rising from Lucy's head.

"Before you freak out," Natsu said. "I didn't know you were changing—"

"LUCY KICK!" she delivered a hefty slice of her foot to his chest.

Natsu groaned and rolled away, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I just woke up and you were right there, pulling your skirt down and—"

"Aughh!" Lucy prepared her foot for another kick, but he held up his hands.

"I'm sorry!"

She hesitated and then lowered her leg. She clasped her hands together and fidgeted nervously. "Natsu…"

He sat up slowly, watching her wearily. "What's wrong?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, brows furrowing together, causing deep wrinkles to form in her forehead.

"I just… I'm so sorry. For everything," she opened her eyes again and looked at him pleadingly. "It was so selfish of me to just leave without telling anyone and I regret it every day and—" Tears pooled out of her eyes and she quickly reached up to hide them. "I'm sorry…"

Natsu stood and went to her. He didn't hesitate before wrapping his arms around her and nestling her tight against his body. He rubbed the side of his face against her temple, a small smile on his lips.

"You don't have to apologize for anything," he said simply.

She held him tightly, tucking her nose against his shoulder, "Yes I do. I'm so stupid."

His smile grew and he squeezed her. "I'm so happy."

She pinched him, "Are you taking pleasure from my misery?"

"A little."

"_Natsuuu_," she whined, rubbing her wet eyes against his black shirt.

He laughed and pulled away from her. She kept her head down, sniffing dismally. He took her chin and lifted her face up. She really did look miserable. He laughed again.

"_Stooooop_," the tears fell faster and her chin quivered.

"Sorry," he smiled sweetly. "It's just… I'm really happy to be near you again."

She gulped.

"It was really hard," he went on, "not being able to talk to you. Actually… it was hell. I really missed you a lot." He stroked her hair, eyes wandering affectionately over her face.

"'Cause you couldn't sleep?"

He shook his head, "That wasn't the only reason. Lucy… you're not my partner just because I needed a blonde all those years ago for that maid mission. You're my partner because I _need_ _you_."

Lucy's heart stopped. "You… need me?"

He nodded seriously. "You keep me in line. And on track. And you do all of the heavy thinking in the missions. And when I get motion sick, you're always there to drag me onto dry land."

Lucy laughed, heart slowly starting up again. "I'm glad I'm useful to you."

He grinned his signature toothy, cheerful grin.

She punched him lightly on the chest and took a step back. Her face fell again. "I appreciate your kind words… but I still need to explain myself to you."

"You already did."

She glanced up at him, finally noticing his clothes for the first time. "Wait a second…" her eyes wandered over the black shirt, the jeans. She looked over at the red jacket she had placed on the end table. She gaped up at him, "You were the mask guy?"

He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, "It was _really _hard to not talk to you."

She smiled, "So _that's _why we were some kind of magical wonder duo…"

He shrugged.

Her smile faded, "But… still. I owe you a candid explanation."

Natsu didn't argue. He sat on the bed and watched intently as she paced the floor in front of him.

"I'm scared, Natsu," she said suddenly. "I'm scared that I'm going to keep making these mistakes and causing problems and people are going to keep targeting me to the point that everyone is sick of protecting me." She stopped her pacing and looked at him pleadingly. "I know you say it'll never happen… but I can't stop worrying about it."

He pursed his lips.

Lucy let out a groan, "No. No. That's not it…" she turned away, crossing her arms over her chest loosely. She gulped and stared at the wall as she said quietly, "I'm ashamed of myself."

Natsu waited for her to continue, but when she didn't, he leaned forward and asked, "Why?"

"For what I did to you. For what I forced you to do."

"You're not making any sense."

She whirled towards him, "I made you _murder_ someone for me!"

Her voice echoed through the room.

He blinked at her.

She latched onto her hair with a quivering hand, trying to hold back the tears. "It's not something to take lightly. Killing a human being is… is a big deal. It's something that you can never forget or take back. It's something that's going to follow you around for the rest of your life and it's all my fault." Her voice cracked. She covered her mouth with her hands and stared at him with horrified eyes. "I forced you to kill someone and now you have to live with that… and… and now it's haunting you and you can't sleep and it's all my fault—"

"Lucy, stop."

She gulped. Natsu's face had gone serious. He locked his golden eyes on her, brows pulled low.

"Don't you dare ever think for a _second_ that I regret what I did."

Lucy stared at him with wide eyes.

He held her stare, "I didn't _have _to kill that bastard. I _chose _to. I could've done what I had always done. I could have just beaten him unconscious and then turned him over to the military to live the rest of his life in solitary confinement. I _could_ have done that. But I didn't. Because I didn't want to." He stood. A shadow cast over his eyes as he slowly approached her. "I didn't want to waste the time to stand around and wait for the military. I didn't want to live another second in a world where scum like _that _existed. I didn't want to see his disgusting face." He stopped directly in front of her, "I didn't want to risk the chance that he'd wake up and lay those unworthy eyes on you." His face softened and he cupped her cheek with his right hand, gently wiping away the tears that leaked out of her eye. "What he did was unforgivable. Life is a gift. A gift that he didn't deserve to have. So I took it from him. It was my choice." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders once more and held her against him. "The decision was mine alone and I don't want you to think that you pushed me to do anything. I don't regret it." He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply. "The fact that there's no chance he can ever hurt you again is enough to keep the guilt away."

Lucy hugged him, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Stupid," she whispered after long minutes. "Stupid… you think too much about me. Think about yourself for a change."

He smiled and squeezed her, "What are you talking about? I'm always putting myself first. It's not my fault I just like to protect you."

She pulled away from him and wiped at her tears, a small smile on her lips. "Stupid. Shut up. I don't need protection, remember?"

"That's right," he grinned. "How could I forget?"

Lucy cupped his face in her hands and pulled his head down to her. She gently pressed her lips to his forehead and held them there for a prolonged second, fingers laced in his hair. After a moment, she released him and smiled.

"Thank you. For everything."

Natsu stared at her with wide eyes, frozen in place. Her hair seemed brighter than usual. Her eyes were practically alight with a warm mahogany glow. He slowly dragged his eyes along the shape of her face, lingering on the soft redness of her cheeks and nose, the delicate point of her chin, and the round plumpness of her lips. Natsu's chest was tight and wound up like a stretched rubber band. It was almost painful, the way his insides seemed to make a violent shift underneath his skin.

Lucy moved around him and he turned to keep her in his vision. She went to the bed and climbed under the covers.

"Come on," she said. "You still look like shit. You need to sleep for at least eight more hours."

Natsu's mouth hung open and his breath was fast and ragged. Lucy flipped her hair and it went in slow motion for his eyes. Light beamed somewhere beyond her head and stars twinkled just on the edges of her body, which he noticed, not for the first time, was absolutely perfect in every way.

A sharp pain pinched his heart and he clutched at his chest. _WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ME_? He backed away slightly, eyes as wide as saucers in his head.

Lucy cocked her head to the side, "Are you okay Natsu?"

The gentle, lilting melody of her voice struck him like an arrow through the heart. He let out a dramatic cry and fell backwards onto his butt. He scuttled away until his back connected with the wall on the opposite side of the room.

Lucy stared at him, "What's wrong?"

He sat gulping for air for a few moments, trying to stop the worried expression on her face from shooting him again and again in the chest with warm bullets made up of equal amounts of ecstasy and misery.

Lucy crawled to the edge of the bed, "Are you alright?" she looked at his hand clutching his heart. "Does your chest hurt? Are you sick?"

Each word was torture. He fervently waved his hand at her, "No! No, no, no, no. I'm fine. No need to get up." His voice cracked.

She hesitated. "Are you sure? You're acting really weird…"

"I'm fine," he laughed nervously. "Totally fine…" He gulped, face heating up as he stared at her.

She cocked an eyebrow, "Uhm. Okay, weirdo."

She shone too bright for him to look at, but he just couldn't look away. He stared with dumbfounded reverence as she gave him a strange look and slid back to the other side of the bed.

"Well then," she said, "Come here. You need your sleep." She narrowed her eyes at him, "I think your exhaustion is making you loopy."

"Exhaustion…" he repeated slowly. _Of course_! That had to be it. That had to be the reason she looked so different to him now. It had to be because he was so tired that he had the overwhelming desire to hold her close to his chest for hours just whispering sweet words and breathing in her sweetly unparalleled scent.

That had to be the reason, right?

Natsu stood and warily made his way to the bed. He slipped under the covers and quickly turned his back to her, tucking the blanket under his chin. "Good night then!"

"No way," she tugged on the blanket. "I don't want to be the big spoon."

"Wh-what do you want me to do about it?" he forced the grumble.

She yanked on the blanket, "Roll over! Come on, you can't steal all of the blanket and then not even have the decency to share your body heat!"

Natsu's eyes popped wide, "_B-b-b-body h-heat_?"

"Yeah," she grabbed his shoulder and pushed it down. He rolled to his back and lay staring up into her face with a thunderstruck expression. She leaned over him and cocked her head to the side, "Why do you look like a rabbit in a snare?"

"I-I-I don't!" he insisted unsuccessfully. "I… I always look like this."

Lucy stared at him for long seconds.

Natsu's heart was on a furious rampage in his chest. He tried to control his breathing, but it turned unhealthily ragged anyway. He dug his fingers into his side, willing his body to obey his command to calm the fuck down. _It's not like I don't want to_, he thought frantically. _It's just that it's my first time and I don't think that it's appropriate for Lucy to just take the initiative without first talking about it… I mean, we're partners… and I'm just tired. That's why I'm feeling like… like…_

Lucy snuggled down into his side, resting her head on his shoulder, curling her hand on his chest, just below his heart.

"You're warm," she murmured before slipping gracefully into unconsciousness.

Natsu stared wide eyed up at the ceiling. _Like I'm in love with her…_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Yeah. I went there. I read NaLu fanfics all the time where the author makes Natsu out to be some sexy, take charge badass that gets Lucy's knees a wobblin', which... don't get me wrong... is TOTALLY HOT, but I always had a hard time of picturing Natsu in such a suave way. Yes, I admit it... I think he's too childish, too naive, and too sweet to be the hunter. And come on... who else is tired of the whole, "woman falls head over heels for a man and slowly, WAY TOO SLOWLY, the man realizes that he too, may, in fact, share similar feelings that he originally thought were only fueled by his desire to stick a certain appendage into her happy place. But upon review, he realized that he also worries about formally uninteresting and unimportant things like her feelings and shit like that"? I'm over it. I like when the man has to convince the woman. ;) Or does our dear sweet Lucy even need any convincing? Find out next time on Her Strength...<strong>

**Just kidding. You think I'm gonna end it just like that? Hell to the naw. Natsu has to WORK for that shit. Men. Take note. Women will not come easy.**

**Not meant to be taken sexually, but equally as relevant in that way...**

**Sorry. Moving on... I wrote this chapter because I am too overly stressed out by Hiro Mashima's most recent chapter update to even function outside of the Fairy Tail world. So I decided to live in it for a while. Goodbye real life. Hello Fiore.**

**Just kidding. I actually helped my Mom feed the cows today. Well... I sorta helped. I spent most of my time fawning over her neighbor's dogs as they jumped all over me and showered me with sweet, wet, doggy kisses. Ugh, how I love them. First time meeting them, already want to kidnap the fuck out of them and hide them in my apartment with my adorable kitten suffering with major abandonment issues. Did I mention my landlord said no pets? Lol woops. But come on... Nashi's an angel. I mean, sure... she digs up our potted plant every once in a while, but that's what we have a vacuum for! Okay, we don't have a vacuum. But that's what we have kind neighbors that let us borrow their vacuum for! We also have them so we can have awkward conversations through our adjoining wall that usually lead to fun group trips to Wal-Mart for candy and chips.**

**Anyway... sorry about the blabbering. I'll shut up.**

**LOVE FOREVER AND ALWAYS-Moo**

**PS: the only track I can think of right now is "Big Jet Plane" by Angus and Julia Stone (It totally fits the cuteness of Natsu in this chapter, methinks)**


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

"ALRIGHT!" Natsu shoved his way into the pub. "WHO WANTS TO FIGHT ME?"

"Natsu!" Happy cheered at the appearance of his friend. "You look so much better! Did you get a lot of sleep?"

"That's right!" Natsu propped his fists on his hips and cackled, "I'm back to my normal self, baby!"

Lucy walked in behind him and rolled her eyes. "So noisy," she searched the pub. Garric and the others were still there. Calica and the other women sat at a table with Loke as he no doubt spun some ridiculous pick up line. The men sat at a separate table with Happy, who had a plate of fish in front of him.

"Oh man!" Natsu ran up to the table, "You're eatin'? I'm _starving_!"

"These ones are mine!" Happy pulled the plate closer to him.

"Duh," Natsu made a face. "I don't want no raw fish! Although I could take one of those and roast it up," his hand ignited and he held it up with a mischievous grin.

"No way!" Happy threw his tiny body over the top of the fish, "They're mine, I said!"

"Aw, come on, Happy! Share with your pal!"

"No, Sir!"

Garric stood from his place as the two bickered. He wandered over to Lucy, who still stood in the center of the pub. He shoved his hands into his pockets, pursing his lips.

When she looked at him, her cheeks turned bright red.

"So…" he stood next to her and glanced over at Natsu as he held his flaming hands up and Happy fended him off with two forks. "Fiancé, huh?"

Lucy cleared her throat and scratched the back of her neck, "Well… I mean… Natsu is… special to me…"

Garric chuckled, "Yeah. Well… I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed."

Lucy's heart hammered in her chest. "D-disappointed?"

He turned towards her, "Yeah. I guess you could say I was really hoping for a redo with that date I screwed up all those years ago." He smiled, "Guess I missed my chance, huh?"

She gulped and twined her fingers together nervously. "Uhm… I… I guess…"

"Hey!" Natsu flew across the pub and put himself between them, wrapping his arms possessively around Lucy and glaring at Garric over his shoulder. "Back off, Grass Head."

Garric's smile faltered and tightened, "Relax. I'm not going to try to steal your fiancée away from you."

Lucy's eyes widened. _Oh shit_.

"Fiancée?" Natsu straightened and cocked an eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Garric narrowed his eyes, "You aren't engaged to be married?"

Natsu's cheeks flared red and he quickly dropped his arms from around Lucy, taking a large step sideways, "N-no way! L-Lucy's my partner! That's all!"

_Natsu you son of a bitch, why'd you have to come over here and ruin things_? Lucy silently cursed him in her head. _Now I have to reject Garric properly!_

Garric's face lit up and Lucy's heart ached.

_Oh God… how can I crush those hopes?_

"In that case," he said. "I'll take Lucy out on a date."

"_LIKE HELL YOU WILL!_" Natsu burst into flames. "_I thought I said BACK OFF, LAWN BRAIN!_"

Garric glared at the burning man, "You said she's just your partner, so what do you care if she goes on a date with me?"

Natsu cut off his flames, "I just said _no_, okay?"

"No, not okay," Garric crossed his arms over his chest. "She doesn't belong to you. She can make her own decisions. Who she dates is none of your business."

"Of course it's my business!"

"Why?"

Natsu clenched his jaw, a growl slowly ripping up his throat. "It just _is_, okay?"

Garric grumbled, "If you're not going to listen to reason, how about we settle this like men?"

"_Garric_," Lucy took a step towards him, hand out.

Natsu put himself in front of her, sizing the other man up, "You've got some balls there, don't ya? Challenging _me _like that?" A slow grin spread across his face. "Alright. I accept your challenge. I've been needing some action anyway. And out of respect for Lucy, I'll be sure to not make you cry _too _much."

"Dream on, asshole."

Garric shrugged off his leather jacket and Natsu did the same with his. Garric folded his neatly over the back of a chair as Natsu tossed his to the floor.

"So where we doin' this thing?" Natsu stretched his shoulders.

Garric moved around him to the table with his friends. "Here is fine. You guys ready?" The others stood and joined him.

Natsu laughed, "That's fine! I can take all you on by myself!"

Garric cleared his throat and then waved his arm. The guys behind him let out a low hum and then started stomping their feet, clapping their hands to the beat. Their voices combined to form a mass of harmony and melody folding over and meshing into the instrumentals of a song.

Natsu took a step back, aghast at the sudden singing.

Garric joined in, singing the words, "_Hunting all this time, nobody's gonna keep me down…_"

The women and Loke stood and joined the group to watch on the sidelines. Happy sprouted his wings and flew over to Natsu, perching on his shoulder curiously.

Lucy sighed and rubbed her temples, muttering, "I should've realized it'd be something like this…"

After a while, Natsu's perplexed expression fell away to severe concentration as he watched Garric belt out the lyrics to the song he'd never heard before.

Lucy noticed the intense expression on Natsu's face and smacked her forehead, _Oh God. He's actually going to encourage this_?

When the final notes of the song ended, Garric cocked an eyebrow at Natsu and crossed his arms over his chest, "Well? What do you think about _that_?"

"That was super cool!" Natsu exclaimed. "Do you guys practice that a lot?"

"Not particularly."

"Alright, I guess it's my turn then," Natsu grinned up at Happy. "You ready Buddy?"

"Aye Sir!" The cat jumped onto a nearby table and started making strange blowing sounds into his paw, clicking his tongue and nodding his head to a nonexistent beat.

Natsu threw his arms out wide and puckered his lips, "What, what!"

Happy stopped the strange noises and added, "NATSU DRAGNEEL IN THE HOOOOOOUUUUUUSE!"

"Yo YO!" Natsu stomped his feet.

Happy continued his half-assed beatboxing as Natsu started spitting out quick, random phrases, moving his hands in ridiculous motions around his face.

Lucy burst out laughing, doubling over, arms clutching her stomach. Natsu continued the torture of his nonsensical fast speech while Happy threw in unnecessary sound effects and exclamations of "_WHAT" _and "_YO YO DAS RIGGGHH'!"_ Lucy laughed and laughed until tears came to her eyes.

The others joined in with the laughter and Garric watched Lucy silently. He had never seen her laugh that hard before. Was this what she got to experience every day in her new guild? He slowly smiled.

_I'm happy for you_, he thought and turned his attention back to Natsu, who was now on the ground, trying to balance on his head long enough to spin circles. Garric's smile stretched to a grin, _Special, huh?_ He laughed. _I think he's more than just special._

* * *

><p>"So you're going to go back to your guild?" Calica asked.<p>

Lucy smiled and nodded, "I'm sure everyone is worried about me."

Calica hugged her suddenly. "Make sure to visit every once in a while, okay?"

Lucy hugged her back, "Of course."

They separated and Lucy glanced at the stage, where Natsu and Garric stood, arms around each other's shoulders as they shared the lacrima mic and sang along to a song about drinking and fighting.

Calica giggled, "It seems like they've become fast friends."

Lucy grinned, "That's kind of Natsu's thing. He can turn just about anybody into his friend. Even enemies."

"So…" the redhead leaned over the table, "You're _not _engaged to that guy?"

She sighed, "No. Loke made that up."

"But you _are _in love with him."

She laughed, "With _Natsu_?" she rested her chin in her hand and propped her elbow up on the table. "He's my best friend!"

"Come on…" the girl smirked and winked, "There's something between you two, isn't there? I mean… he's not bad looking. He's kind of juvenile, and I don't know what's up with that pink hair… and he seems really ultra violent and kind of… immature and dense…"

Lucy laughed again, "Wow, you really have him pegged, don't you?"

Calica smiled gently, "But he also seems really kind. And he's obviously head over heels for you."

"What makes you think that?" Lucy cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, just remember how possessive he was towards you when Garric was talking to you! He was totally jealous!"

She rolled her eyes, "No. That's not it. It's just that... a lot of bad stuff has happened to me lately... so I think he's just being overprotective to keep any more stuff from happening."

"Lucy... he cares for you."

Lucy peered up at Natsu again. He and Garric had stopped the song and were now arguing with each other over a verse they had sung differently from one another.

"Yeah," she admitted. "And I care for him too."

"So you _looooooooove_ him," Calica said, drawing Happy's attention across the table.

He glared, "Hey! That's my thing!"

Calica stuck her tongue out at him.

"I love all of my friends," Lucy agreed.

"No, but you have special love for him."

"Of course. He's my best friend."

"No… but like… you_ like_ him."

"He's really fun to be around. What's not to like?"

Calica let out an exasperated sigh and looked to Happy.

He shrugged, "They're both really dense sometimes."

"I can see that," she grumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I know, I know. It's ridiculous, right? Well ridiculous is good. So deal with it.<strong>

**Okay, so my opinion on Natsu's musical abilities is that I don't think he has a single scrap of musical ability whatsoever. Like... at all. It doesn't fit his personality. And whether you watch the anime in English or Japanese, it doesn't seem like either voice actors would sound very angelic when tootin' their mouth horns. (Although I am aware that Todd Haberkorn does sing from time to time. And honestly, he's not bad. Seriously, look it up. He's pretty hilarious too. I suggest you listen to him fuck up 'Roar' by Katy Perry. I laughed pretty hard.) But Natsu... he's not musical! He's violent and goofy and breaks shit and then sets the remnants on fire! WOOOOOOO! But realistically... come on... everyone sings every once in a while. Whether you're good or not. I'm awful, but that doesn't stop me from drunk singing "Fly" by Sugar Ray at the top of my lungs every time I've had the slightest bit of vodka. So I started thinking about what Natsu would sound like if he did in fact, seriously sing. Excluding Todd Haberkorn's singing... I imagined him to be one of those singers that isn't really... _good_ at singing, but still manages to get famous on the pure uniqueness of their voice. You know what I mean? If you don't... you're in luck, because I'm gonna list some examples down below later.**

**So why didn't I make Natsu sing then if I have examples of how I think his voice would sorta a little bit, barely sound like? Well, for one thing, I didn't want you guys imagining him singing like an angel. Because he wouldn't. You all fucking know that. Right? He would NOT sound like Sheeran. He would NOT sound like Dave Matthews. He would NOT sound like... oh I dunno. Who do you young kids listen to these days? One Direction. Nope. He would be raspy and tone deaf. His voice would crack humorously, and he'd sing ridiculous lyrics that only made sense in a really weird way. **

**So then why did I make him rap? It's simple. I think it'd be downright hilarious if Natsu rapped. And it's true... I'm not really a fan of rap. Don't get me wrong... there are a ton of rap songs that I love. But I love them for their lyrical value. In other words, I do not like any rap song that preaches about gettin bitches, gettin wasted, stayin up all night in the club, throwin around money because you're disgustingly rich. Snore. I can write those lyrics in my sleep. I like funny rap songs. I like rap songs that have crazy intelligent lyrics/lines that make you go, "DAYUM, this rapper done did his ding dang research!" Okay okay... I like Eminem! I think he's hilarious. And I respect his incredible word usage. I honestly listen to some of his songs and think, "Holy shit. He's got a bigger vocabulary than me..." Seriously. A high school drop out, criticized by many to be thuggish and stupid and whatever, and he is spitting out words that people that went to college don't even understand. I RESPECT THAT. Oh man and his use of alliteration? Jesus Christ Lord Almighty I cannot even FATHOM writing that shit. I get a headache just thinking about it.**

**Also, he's so hilarious and doesn't rely on the nice sound of his voice. Because honestly... his voice ISN'T all that nice sounding. It's juvenile and playful. Sorta like a certain fire dragon slayer I know... Do I want you to imagine Natsu rapping like Eminem? Whatev. Do as you please. I'm not a dictator. But I'll let you in on my train of thought in the early stages of thinking this bad boy up.**

**I very strongly imagined, and still imagine, the song that Garric and his buddies sing as "Home" as sung by the acapella group Transit. And if you listen to it, I think you'll hear a little bit of what I described up there. (Although I didn't use the real lyrics.) In fact, I very strongly suggest you listen to it just because it is a damn impressive piece of music.**

**And I also initially imagined Natsu as not impressed, but rather, really pissed off that this asshole was challenging him for Lucy. Because COME ON, Lucy is HIS. Ya know? So I thought of Natsu's reply song of being something antagonistic... a warning, if you will. I wanted him to try to scare the pants off of Garric and his pals. Because initially, I wanted Garric to be a bit of a 'bad guy' figure. Not at all as amiable and kind as he ended up being. So, in order for Natsu to scare him, I wanted him to rap about bloody, violent, serial killer, manslaughter, guts and gore and "WATCH YOUR BACK BECAUSE YOU'RE NEXT" kind of stuff. So what did I hear? "3 AM" by Eminem. In this song, Eminem has the weird, quirky sound of someone of Natsu's personality. And it is very graphic about a serial killer. Wow. Perfect, right? I figured it would be something that would definitely freak Garric out, and it was entertaining at the same time. In the end, I changed my mind and made Nastu impressed with Garric's performance and made him play the jester with his ridiculous rapping. I didn't want him and Garric to end on bad terms, I guess. Because he wasn't a bad guy, after all. And it isn't Natsu if he's hating someone just because they share a common interest in a beautiful Miss Lucy.**

**So that's my thought process on the matter. I really hope you guys check out those two songs just because I want you to have an insider look on where I got my ideas. I'll list my other examples of how I thought Natsu might possibly sorta sound if he tried seriously singing so I hope you check those out too. ;)**

**Tracks to peruse:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Home" as sung by Transit (Garric's song)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"3 AM" by Eminem<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Guilty Cocker Spaniels" by Modest Mouse (weird and not necessarily talented voice that fits Natsu's personality in my opinion...)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Loot My Body" by Man Man (Weird, over the top sound although the voice is a tad too low to be Natsu)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"I Don't Trust Myself" as sung by Mike Posner (He's got the raspinteresting sound down. but can't really see Natsu singing so on tune.)**

* * *

><p><strong>"Bath Rhymes" by the DickFigures cast (Okay, so this song is one of those that I bashed up above, but I absolutely love it to death because I laugh my ass off every time I hear it. So I'm listing it. Also, I think Red, from the webshow this cast is from, is an overly sexualizedasshole version of Nastu.) WARNING: If you go on youtube and listen to this song, just know that it is really explicit.**

**Okay, I know I got some song suggestions these past couple of days that I haven't listed yet, but I usually prefer to post them after I listen to them myself, and I haven't had the time to do that yet, so I promise tomorrow I will do that and have them all listed. So the people that suggested to me, don't worry. I'm not ignoring you! **

**Anyway... ugh I talk to much. Sorry about that. As always, I love you all. Remember that you can message me any time about anything and I promise to always reply! (For the people I'm already messaging that I haven't replied to, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you either. I'm just busy today and so will have to do that tomorrow! Sorry I suck! .)**

**Love-Moo**


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Calica sobbed as she hugged Lucy tightly around the waist, shoving her face in her breasts. "I don't want you to leeeeeeeeaaave!" she wailed.

"Come on, Calica," Lucy tried to dislodge the small woman from her bosom.

Natsu and Garric stood side by side and watched as Calica shoved her face deeper into Lucy's cleavage. They both crossed their arms over their chests and thought, _Lucky_.

Garric cleared his throat and turned to Natsu, who still glared at Calica.

"So," he said and then trailed off.

Natsu faced him. He examined the man with narrowed eyes for a second before grinning wide and slapping him on the shoulder, "I'll see you around!"

Garric smiled, "Yeah. I hope so."

"Ahhh I want to keep him forever!" the girls hugged Happy, squashing him between them as they nuzzled his face.

"Natsu—" He held a paw out, terror in his eyes.

Natsu laughed and waved, "You're alright, Buddy!"

"Hey, listen," Garric drew his attention again.

Natsu cocked his head to the side, "What's up?"

He glanced at Lucy, who had finally managed to pry Calica off of her with the help of Ardis. The man in the knit cap now held Calica around the waist to keep her back.

"I'm in love with her," he admitted suddenly.

Natsu's hands caught fire.

"Calm down," Garric said upon noticing. "I'm not going to do anything about it."

Natsu snuffed out the flames.

"I just wanted you to know," he continued. "I love her. And I always have. And it's a damn shame I didn't realize it sooner…" he smiled sadly. "Because I lost my chance. She ran off and found a new exciting life for herself and I… well… I'm still here. Doing what I've always done." He chuckled and dragged his fingers through his hair. "But seeing her… it's put my mind at ease." He sighed. "It looks like she's happy. And she's found good friends." He glanced at Natsu, "Listen…"

Natsu blinked curiously at him.

Garric rested a hand on his shoulder and said seriously, "If you don't make your move, she will move on."

Natsu's cheeks reddened, "I… I don't know what you're talking about…"

Garric grinned and squeezed his shoulder, "I like you. That's why I'm not trying harder to steal her from you." Natsu tensed and he laughed, "Relax!" he looked to Lucy again. "I just wanted to make sure… that you'll do everything in your power to make her happy for the rest of her life."

Natsu stared at the ground, shuffling his feet and scratching the back of his neck, "I… I'll try…"

He laughed again and slapped him on the back, "Oh come on! It's not like you to go all shy!" He ruffled his hair affectionately as Natsu swiped at him and whined about being treated like a kid. They both shared a grin and then turned to watch Lucy again.

She leaned around Calica's reaching arms and kissed Ardis on the cheek.

Natsu promptly burst into flames and Garric cracked his knuckles.

Lucy looked at them and noticed their angry expressions. She frowned and walked up, "Are you two fighting again?"

Garric dropped his hands and Natsu cut off his flames.

"No," they said simultaneously.

Lucy smiled, "Good." She moved to Garric. "It was so great to see you again, Garric."

"Yeah," he returned her smile. "It was."

They hugged and Natsu crossed his arms over his chest to keep himself from throwing a fire dragon's fist right in Garric's smug little face. Then Lucy pulled back and lifted up on her toes to deliver a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"_Alright, alright_!" Natsu yanked Lucy out of Garric's grasp, glaring at the other man. "C'mon Lucy. Or else we'll miss our train. See you _never_, GARRIC."

"Oh," the green haired man grinned mischievously, "Rest assured, you'll see much more of _me_, NATSU."

Lucy looked between them in confusion. Finally she rolled her eyes, "Okay, enough flirting, boys. Time to leave before Calica escapes Ardis and attacks me again."

Calica sobbed and reached her arms out to her, "LUCY DON'T LEAAAAAAAAVE!"

She waved, "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you soon, I promise." She looked to the others still coddling Happy. "C'mon, girls. Let him go. We need to leave."

Happy was reluctantly released and he flew to Lucy with tears in his eyes, "Luuuuccyyyy," he cried. "I thought I was going to suffocate!" He landed in her arms and she patted his head gently.

"Oh you exaggerate," she waved and winked at her old guild mates. "I'll see you all later!"

"_BYE LUCY!_" they all called as she, Happy, and Natsu headed for the train station to begin their journey back to Magnolia.

Lucy took a deep breath and smiled at Natsu. He glanced down at her and grinned his signature grin.

"I'm ready to go home," she said softly

Natsu's heart stuttered in his chest and he gulped. "Yeah… home."

Lucy turned her face forward, scratching Happy behind the neck and he sighed blissfully.

_Home_, Natsu let the word float around his mind as he watched the sun catch her hair and dance through her russet eyes. He smiled, knowing that he was already there.

* * *

><p>"<em>WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE<em>!" Natsu kicked his way into the guild.

The entire hall erupted in cheers.

"_WELCOME BACK_!" everyone hailed at their arrival.

"_Lucy!_" Wendy and Levy attacked the blonde as she entered the hall behind Natsu. "We missed you!"

She hugged them back with a laugh. "I'm back. Sorry for leaving… you must have been so worried."

"Not exactly," Erza said as she walked up. "We knew Natsu would bring you back." She smiled, "Welcome home, Lucy."

She returned the smile, "Thank you, Erza."

Cana threw an arm around Natsu's neck and breathed her toxic alcohol tinted breath on his face. "_Aww_!" she whined, glancing down at his one sleeved jacket and baggy white capris. "Why ain't you wearin' the outfit I picked out for ya? You looked so cool!"

He squirmed, "It was uncomfortable!"

Gray walked up and ruffled his pink hair, "Hey, dumbass. About time you came back. Took your damn time, didn't you?"

"_GRAY_!" Natsu broke away from Cana, "FIGHT ME!"

They clashed, throwing punches, burning and freezing. Gajeel chuckled and stretched his shoulders, "_Alright_," he said and jumped into the dust cloud that picked up at their fighting.

"So Lucy," Mirajane said as she sat at a table with Erza, Wendy, Carla, and Levy. "Did Natsu succeed in his job?"

"His job?" Lucy cocked her head. "What job?"

Erza explained, "I hired him to follow and observe you without you noticing."

"Oh," Lucy laughed, "Well… then I guess not."

"You guess not?" Levy repeated. "So he failed then?"

"How long did he last?" Wendy asked.

Lucy deliberated, "Well… quite a while, actually. He didn't blow his cover until…" she hesitated and then looked away, "Nothing."

Everyone leaned forward, _"What_?"

"Nothing. I said nothing. He just… accidentally talked near me and I recognized his voice. That's it. That's all. The end. No more discussion."

The girl got up and went to the counter shouting, "What's that Master? You wanted to talk to me about something? Okay here I come!"

Makarov, who sat on the bar with a mug in his hand cocked an eyebrow and said, "What?"

The girls simultaneously hmmmmm-ed and glanced at each other. Carla finally cleared her throat and called, "Oh, Happy!"

Happy, who was observing Gray, Natsu, and Gajeel go at it, heard her voice and turned immediately in her direction.

"Carla!" he cried and flew towards the table. "I've missed you so much! Did you miss me?"

He landed on the table next to her and she replied, "Well naturally I did."

Tears erupted from the cat's eyes, "_REALLY_?"

"Sure. So Happy, why don't you tell us all about the little adventure you and Natsu went on?"

He cocked his head to the side and looked around at the other girls all leaning in expectantly, eyes boring into his skull.

"Uhm…" he gulped nervously, suddenly catching the feeling that he was surrounded by hungry wolverines. "What do you want to know?"

The women smirked and the wolverines turned rabid.

* * *

><p>"It's nice to have you back, Lucy," Makarov said as Lucy sank onto a stool beside him.<p>

"Thanks Master," she sighed. "It's nice to be back," she smiled, "Even though I've only been here five minutes, I've already been interrogated by the busybody committee."

Makarov chuckled. "They have been talking about you two since you disappeared."

Her cheeks flushed, "Don't they have jobs to do?"

He took a drink from his mug and then eyed her curiously. "So. Did you find what you were looking for?"

She blinked at him for a few seconds before crossing her arms on the counter and looking away, "I did." She laughed sourly, "And can you guess where I found it?"

Makarov's eyes wandered lazily across the guild where Natsu stood cackling on a table, Gray under one arm trapped in a headlock. "Hmmm. I can imagine."

She sighed, "I should've just opened up to him sooner. I can't understand how… he just quelled every one of my fears after one short conversation." She hid her face in her arms. "I just needed to talk to him. You'd think I would've learned by now…"

Makarov reached over and patted her head, "There's no use worrying about the past. It's unchangeable. Relax. You're home. And you can't say you've come home without learning something new on your journey."

She glanced up at him, "Yeah…" she smiled gently and sat up again. "You're right. It was a nice getaway. I got to talk to my parents. I finally delivered my letters. I ran into old friends…" she grinned. "It was really fun, just going out and doing whatever I wanted to. I've decided that I'm not going to play it safe anymore. I'm going to be wild and have fun and not worry so much about the little things."

Master chuckled, "Atta girl."

* * *

><p>The girls sat back, identical smirks stretching across their faces.<p>

"Jealousy, huh?" Mirajane rubbed her chin not-so-innocently.

"So it seems that Natsu has learned of his own feelings," Erza observed. "Even if only subconsciously…"

"But now how do we get Lucy to understand it?" Wendy wondered.

Carla sighed, "She can be just as dense as Natsu sometimes. It will take quite a bit of convincing."

"Maybe if we can get Natsu to confess to her…" Erza said softly.

Cana, who showed up with Lisanna in the middle of Happy's speech laughed and said, "It's simple! Don't tell me you guys seriously haven't realized it!"

"Realized what?" Lisanna cocked her head to the side.

Cana leaned forward and held up her mug, "_Drinking contest_."

Erza's and Mirajane's eyes glittered with mania, matching Cana's.

"Drinking contest?" Lisanna and Wendy shared a look.

"Oh Cana," Erza patted her friend's back. "How could it have taken us so long to realize it? It's perfect."

"I can't even remember the last time we saw Natsu drunk," Mirajane giggled.

Lisanna and Wendy's mouths dropped open.

"Oh no…" Happy backed away across the table. "No… no, no, no, no, no! You guys promised you'd never get him drunk again! You promised!"

"Oh Happy…" Mirajane waved her hand. "There's nothing to worry about… I'm sure."

"I've never seen Natsu drunk," Wendy admitted.

"Me either," Lisanna said.

"What happens when Natsu drinks?" Carla looked to Happy.

He clutched his head, terror in his eyes. "It's awful. J-just awful! I won't support this! And Natsu said he'd never drink again, so you're just gonna have to think of a different idea!"

Cana scoffed and glanced over at the dragon slayer, who was sitting next to Gray and Gajeel. All three men were covered in scuff marks and bruises, laughing over plates of food.

She smirked and casually called, "Hey, Gray, Gajeel… we're getting some people together for a drinking competition. You in?"

Natsu perked, "Competition?"

She rolled her eyes, "_Drinking _competition. You don't drink."

"I'm in," Gray said.

"Why not?" Gajeel agreed.

"Sounds good," she turned to the rest of the guild, "Anyone else want to join?"

"Drinking contests are _manly_!" Elfman stood and flexed his muscles.

"Drinking contest against Cana?" Macao shook his head. "I'm not stupid."

"Hear, hear," Wakaba puffed on his cigar.

"That sounds fun!" Lucy stood. "I wanna try!"

Natsu pouted his lips out.

"Alright, any other takers?" Cana looked around.

"I shall also join," Erza said with a nod.

"I guess I'll give it a shot too," Mirajane giggled.

"I wanna, too!" Natsu stood and threw his hand in the air. "Me too!"

Cana said, "No, Natsu. You said you'd never drink again, remember?"

"But—"

"As if you even have a chance," Erza chuckled. "You'd be out in the first round."

"Nuh uh!"

"Come on, Natsu," Gray rolled his eyes. "If you take part, you're practically _beggin' _for failure."

"You'll only end up embarrassing yourself," Gajeel added.

Natsu's face reddened and fire shot out of his mouth as he roared, "_I'M DOING IT! I'M DOING IT! I'M DOING IT AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME! I'M GONNA WIPE THE FLOOR WITH ALL YOU LOSERS!_"

Cana sighed, "Ugh, _FINE_. You can join. Jeez. Just shut up." She turned and grinned at the others. "And so it begins…"

"I have a bad feeling about this," Wendy whispered to Lisanna.

She giggled nervously, "Me too…"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So this chapter took me a long time to write because I was out enjoying real life all day. And by enjoying real life, I mean I was trying to shove my crackly, dead Christmas tree into the back of a truck to haul off to my parents house after convincing them that a bonfire would be a lovely thing to have this summer just because I didn't want to go to the dump. It was an adventure, really. Especially since there three bales of hay in the bed of the truck that I had to maneuver around. Then, upon arriving to my parents house, I got to taunt my sister through snapchat with my mom about how she's getting too old and needs to start popping out babies before its too late. Then my dad came home to explain to me explicitly how he sat on the toilet for an hour last night with the stomach gurglies. Thanks, Dad. I also fed my dog Muddy Buddies and forced my mom to listen to me talk talk talk about Fairy Tail. Then I came back home, watched videos of people performing songs in ASL with my neighbor. <strong>

**But the most exciting part of my day was when my cat let me pick her up and snuggle her with little to no attempts at my life. In fact, she even rubbed her face against mine affectionately. It was heaven in a hand basket, lemme tell ya. **

**Well, because of my obviously fun-filled/super busy day... I didn't really listen to the song suggestions again. Sorry! Well actually, I lied. I listened to a couple this morning. So I'll list those ones. But there are still others I have to listen to so those will come later. I also haven't replied to messages, AUGH! But I might be able to do that after I update this chapter... if the Man of the House doesn't rope me into playing Super Smash Bros immediately upon publication... We will see. Sorry I'm a lowlife.**

**TRACKS HERE. GET YOUR TRACKS HERE:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Comes and Goes" by Greg Laswell<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I forgot to list this yesterday, but the song that I heard Natsu and Garric singing together was "Drink and Fight" by Flogging Molly, ;P<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by BchanShips:<strong>

**"The Others" by Birds of Tokyo**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by Scruffles Pup:<strong>

**"Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by animequeen100:<strong>

**"You Are In Love" by Taylor Swift (It is seriously IMPOSSIBLE to find Taylor's original version of this song on youtube for some reason. Lots of copyright issues I guess? So pretty much every song I could find were just covers. But I listened to one by Hayley Solano that was beautiful, so I suggest her if you look this song up and run in to the same problems as me.)**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by 13Pie:<strong>

**"Underground" by Cody Fry (I swear we have the same taste in music because this is another that I've been in love with for a while too! I even contemplated adding it to my suggestions every once in a while. Get out of my head!)**

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's all I've had time to listen to today. I'll get the rest done tomorrow, I swear. :)<strong>

**I love you guys so much. Remember that my ears are always open if there is absolutely anything in the whole wide world that you want to talk about. Hugs and kisses and good thoughts for anybody in school stressing out about homework or tests or anything like that. I believe in you! You can do it! And for those people that are working and are having problems with coworkers or bosses or customers or just anything in general, I believe in your ability to hold back from stabbing a bitch in the throat! You can do it! And for anybody that has something else stressing them out, like public speaking, or owning up to a mistake, or seeing someone you haven't seen for years, remember that I'm here rooting for you! You got this! *wipes your brow with a towel and massages your shoulders* Keep at it, brutha. Keep at it!**

**Okay, enough for now, I guess. I could be using this rant time to listen to music or answer messages! Augh!**

**Love-Moo**


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

"Okay, okay, does everyone have their tracker with them?" Cana asked.

Evergreen sighed from her spot next to Elfman, "Explain to me once more what I'm supposed to do…"

Cana groaned, "_UGHHHH_. It's easy!" She sat on the counter and crossed her legs. "Each of you were assigned a partner that will stay by your side for the rest of the night and keep track of the amount of alcohol you consume. Because you lightweights aren't going to be able to be to count after three rounds with me!" She cackled.

"Sorry Wendy," Lucy said to the little girl beside her.

"It's alright," she smiled. "I don't mind. This will be interesting to watch!"

"Natsu," Happy whined. "I don't _want _to do this! I want to go home!"

"Aw, come on, pal," Natsu said. "It won't be as bad as you think!"

"Thanks for partnering up with me," Mirajane said to her little sister.

"I've never seen you drink before," Lisanna admitted. "I wonder what you're like…"

Mirajane just giggled.

"Do your best Gray-sama!" Juvia's eyes were filled with hearts.

"No way am I gonna let that flame ass beat me…" he muttered.

Levy cleared her throat and looked away, "It's not like I _wanted _to be your partner or anything…"

Gajeel grunted, "Then Lily can just—"

"It's not like I'm complaining either!" she announced loudly.

He grinned and crossed his arms over his chest, "Then shut up."

Erza turned to Laki, "Listen up Laki… we have to win no matter what."

"Agreed," the purple haired mage gave a firm nod. "We will paint the guild red with the blood of your foes."

Erza stared at the other woman for a few moments before saying, "We really should hang out more often."

"The contest will go until first morning light!" Cana drew everyone's attention again. "Your count is to be given to Master by your trackers at that point! If you pass out before morning, you cannot wake up and add to your count! The number you were at when you passed out is your final score. You can back out at any time, but the second you announce your surrender, that number is your final score!" She belched, "Kinana will be in charge of refills. In order for a draft to count, it has to be filled to the top! You may drink at your own pace, getting refills at your leisure. You are not allowed to use magic to enhance your performance. You are not allowed to sabotage someone else. This is a pure and fair drinking match and that's it! Macao and Wakaba will be the referees. Break any of the rules and you will be _disqualified_. EVERYONE GOT IT?"

The guild erupted in cheers and she raised her draft, "THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR!" She turned to Makarov, "Master, would you do the honors of starting the match?"

"It'd be my pleasure," the small man stood on the bar next to Kinana. "I expect a fair and honest game! To each and every one of you, good luck. Drink to win! Now... BEGIN!"

And thus, the drunkest night of Fairy Tail began.

* * *

><p>"You're holding out surprisingly well, Lucy," Cana slithered across the bar to the blonde.<p>

Lucy lifted her head and blinked slowly, "Ooooh. Cana… Yeah. I'm…" she hiccupped. "I'm at a high number now!" She jerked her head left and right, "Wenny! What's my number?"

The blue haired girl chuckled nervously, "Twelve…"

"Dayum, Busty!" Cana reached out and squeezed one of Lucy's breasts. "Not bad for a beginner!"

Lucy swiped at Cana's hand but missed by about half a meter. "Don't underestimate me… Have you ever had celestial spirit spirits? This…" she waved her half empty draft. "This shit is _water _compared to _t__hat_."

"No kiddin?" Cana squeezed her boob again. "You gotta get me some of that stuff!"

"I'll get you some right now!" Lucy grabbed her keys and stood, swaying on her feet. She whipped out one of the keys and held it high, "I'll call Virgo!" She spun her arm around, winding it like a windmill, "_OPEN! GATE OF THE VIRGIN! VIRGO!_"

"Moooooo! I think you got the wrong key, Lucy!" Taurus appeared, brandishing his axe.

"_Taurus_?" Lucy looked down at her key, "Oh fuck."

"Hey cow man!" Cana sat up. "Party with us!"

Hearts popped out of his eyes at the sight of the scantily clad woman. "I'd love to party with you and the udders!"

"No!" Lucy waved the key again. "Go home!"

"_MOOOooooo_," he faded until he was gone.

"Let's try this again," Lucy picked another key, "_Virgo! The Virgin! I'm calling you!_"

"Lucy, are you seriously drunk calling us?" Loke appeared, leaning against the counter next to Cana.

"Loke!" Lucy pointed the key at him. "I didn't call for you! I called for Wirgo!"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "_Virgo_, you mean?"

"THAT'S WHAT I SAID!" she stomped her feet.

"If you're calling for Virgo," he said, "Then why are you waving Scorpio's gate key around?"

Lucy switched keys again, "Third time's the charm…"

Loke straightened away from the counter, "Lucy, you shouldn't be waving your keys around willy nilly like that. You do realize that your spirits do have lives outside of serving you, right? If you're going to call them down, it should be for a good reason."

"Loke please," Lucy held a hand up. "You're breaking my concentration."

"Yeah, lighten up, call boy," Cana ruffled his hair, locking her legs around his waist and latching onto his back. "Ha! I've got you!"

Lucy lifted her key up, "Okay! This time! Virgo—"

"Uhm, Lucy?" Wendy cut in, drawing her attention. "Maybe you shouldn't? I mean… isn't using your magical energy lowering your chances of being able to drink more? Won't you tire yourself out and probably pass out before the night is over?"

Lucy lowered her key and glanced down at it. "H-hey! That's right!" she thrust the key back into her leather pouch. "Thanks, Wenny!" She looked at Loke, "_WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, LOKE? YOU'RE GOING TO SAP ALL OF MY ENERGY AND I'M GOING TO PASS OUT!_"

"I'm here on my own power," he scowled, shrugging his shoulder against Cana, who licked his neck with a maniacal laugh.

"Go back, go back, go back!" She smacked her fists into his forehead, eyes squeezed shut. Suddenly she gasped and whirled around unsteadily. "_Wenny_! I need to finish my shit!" she practically lunged for the counter and grabbed her half empty draft. She shoved it into her mouth and gulped down the remaining contents, slamming the empty mug on the counter with a satisfied, "_AHHHHHHHH._"

Loke looked to Wendy, who popped open her miniature notebook and jotted down another tally mark. He sighed, wiggling out of Cana's grasp as she started to bite his earlobe.

* * *

><p>"<em>GRAY!<em>" Natsu roared, fire shooting out of his mouth as he stood on the second floor balcony of the guild hall.

Gray, sitting at a table down below, leapt to his feet and whirled around. "_NATSU!_"

"_GRAY_!"

"_WHAT DO YOU WANT_?"

"_HEY GRAY!_"

Gray thrust a finger in his direction, "_YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE THIS TIME SALAMANDER_!"

"_GRAAAAAAYY_!"

"_I'M GONNA COME UP THERE AND WIPE YOUR FACE ON THE CEILING_!" Gray threw his arms wide and bellowed unintelligibly.

"_GRAY HOW MANY ARE YOU AT NOW_?" Natsu leaned precariously over the railing of the balcony.

"_FIFTEEN!_"

"Sixteen, my love," Juvia corrected.

"_NOT FOR LONG!_" he grabbed his draft and raised it to his mouth, chugging down the liquid.

"Shit," Natsu crouched, peering through the railing slats. "I've only got seventeen."

"Thirteen," Happy corrected. He was hovering in the air just out of reach of his friend, watching him warily.

"I need to catch up," Natsu decided, standing once more. His head spun and he cackled, "I'm not used to this!" he glanced up at the cat flying above his head, "Why you stayin' up there?"

"I'm not getting near you after what happened last time…" he said.

"I need more alcohol," Natsu ignored Happy's grumbling and looked over the railing to the counter below him. Lucy, Wendy, Cana, and Loke were bickering. Wendy had her arms around Lucy's waist as the blonde brandished her whip. Cana was latched onto Loke's back, holding his arms down as he argued with Lucy.

Natsu's eyes caught on Lucy. From his position, he could clearly see straight down her low cut shirt. He leaned on the railing, adjusting his stance, resting his face on his arms as he stared.

"Maybe I'll wait a little bit," he said. "To kinda… let the first stuff get fully going, ya know?"

* * *

><p>Lisanna's mouth dropped open.<p>

"Erza's already passed out?!"

Laki tugged on Erza's limp arms as she lay, unconscious, on the guild floor. "Come on, Erza! You've only had six drinks!"

Mirajane giggled, "What did you expect? Erza's never been much of a drinker. She'd rather eat strawberry cake."

Lisanna turned to her older sister, "And how are you feeling, big sis?"

She smiled brightly, "Perfectly fine!" she lifted her mug to her mouth, "Then again, I've still only had four drafts so far."

Erza sat up suddenly, "I'm awake!"

Wakaba walked up, "No good, Erza. You were passed out. That means you're done for the night."

A shadow seemed to fall over the woman as she leaned her forehead on the heel of her hand, "I've failed as a mage… no… as a human being."

Lisanna rushed to console her, "Don't feel bad, Erza! Six is a good solid number!"

Laki helped her to her feet and she joined Mirajane at her table, "Oh well. It wasn't meant to be." She glanced around, eyes landing on Natsu on the second floor balcony. "How many do you suppose he's had?"

Mirajane followed her gaze, "Well, he's made it past the chugging stage. Now he's moved to isolation. So I'd say somewhere near a dozen?"

Erza nodded. "Another eight will be sufficient."

Lisanna looked between them curiously, "So, what is Natsu like when he's drunk? And why do you think it will help him and Lucy get together?" Her face paled, "Oh jeez… you're not trying to make them—"

"Heavens no!" Mirajane waved her hand, "We're not that irresponsible!"

Lisanna let out a sigh of relief, "I was so worried…"

"Rest assured," Erza nodded. "It'll work. By the end of the night, the two will be together."

"It's fool proof," Mirajane agreed.

"Okay…" Lisanna wasn't so sure.

* * *

><p>Natsu realized something. He straightened, still peering down at Lucy as Wendy finally released her and she gestured at Kinana across the counter to fill her draft. Loke's attention turned to Cana, who was pulling at the buttons on his shirt.<p>

On any given day, Lucy's clothes were pretty revealing. Natsu leaned over the railing. Her cleavage was almost always on display. And today was no exception. Even though he knew his higher position put him at an advantage in the peeping department, those standing on the same level as she probably had almost just as good of a view of the woman's assets.

Natsu's neck and chest flared up with unwanted heat. He didn't like the thought of other people being able to see what he saw.

Without hesitation, Natsu jumped over the railing of the balcony and dropped down to the first floor.

Lucy shrieked when the dragon slayer suddenly crashed to the floor next to her. She pulled her whip out and sent the entire thing flying from her hands in his direction.

"ATTACKERS!" she screeched.

The whip hit the ground just to the left of Natsu as he stood and brushed off his shoulders casually.

"Oh," Lucy took her draft and sipped it calmly. "It's just Nassu. Never mind."

Natsu's intense gaze practically burned holes into her as he moved closer.

"Hm?" she cocked an eyebrow, "What is it, Nassu?"

Cana promptly stopped trying to undress Loke to watch as the pink haired dragon slayer moved closer and closer to Lucy until his proximity forced her up against the bar. Cana let out a short gasp and grabbed Loke's tie, whispering, "Is this it?"

Natsu closed the gap between them, touching the small of her back with one hand and resting the other on the bar behind her. He leaned in, nose nearly brushing her cheek as he started to sniff, inhaling her delicate scent, which was muddled slightly with the heavy stench of alcohol.

Cana sighed and murmured to Loke, "_He's like some wild man being introduced to a woman for the first time after living his entire life in the jungle with gorillas…_"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Loke mumbled back.

Natsu trailed his nose down the side of Lucy's face to her jawline. He moved down her neck and then pulled back slightly, eyes travelling over her exposed collarbone before running over the deep plunge of her shirt. The gears worked in his mind for a moment before he reached up.

He unraveled the scarf from around his neck and wrapped it loosely around Lucy's instead. He took special time to adjust the tails so that they covered most of her cleavage. When he was satisfied with his work, he moved to her side and then barked over the counter, "Kinana! I need to catch up to Gray! Give me five more drafts!"

Kinana quickly went about filling his order. When she brought the mugs to the counter, Natsu wrapped his arms around them and ran off across the guild, sloshing liquid onto the floor as he called, "_GRAY, WHAT NUMBER ARE YOU ON NOW?_"

"FUCK!" Cana groaned. "That was so _close_!"

Lucy raised her mug to her mouth and quickly downed it. Her cheeks were bright red. She wiped her mouth and turned to Kinana, "I'll take another," she said quietly.

Cana and Loke exchanged a look. Cana grinned and whispered, "_I think we're making progress…_"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: The Man of the House royally fucked up today, guys. So, after sleeping in until noon, I got up and pulled out my laptop, thinking I could finish this chapter (which I started last night) in the hour before my friend came to take me out for coffee at one. So I sat at the breakfast nook with a bottle of water and some saltine crackers, tip-typing away on ol' Ovo as the Man of the House sat on the couch behind me and played some Xbox. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was probably the neighbors, I didn't run off to hide in another room like I usually do. The Man of the House answered the door to a solicitor (Ugh I hate living in town!) offering a free bottle of some Glade shit. Ignoring the exchange, because writing is more important than strangers at the door, I only subconsciously listened to the conversation. It went something like this...<strong>

**Solicitor: "Hello! I've got this bottle of [Glad shit] for you. It's totally free. I'm going around offering free samples to get people aware of our product." *thrusts Glade shit at Man of the House***

**Man of the House: *Too polite to tell him to go fuck off like I would've done upon realizing he was not the neighbors...* "Oh, okay. Thanks." *takes Glade shit***

**Solicitor: "Okay, that's yours. I'll be right back." *leaves porch***

**Man of the House: *walks inside and closes door***

**Solicitor: *knocks on door a minute later***

**Man of the House: *Answers it***

**Solicitor: *with some other asshole* "Okay, this is Eric. He's gonna come in and talk about our product"**

**Eric: *barges in uninvited* "Hey, hi, how's it goin'"**

**Man of the House: *moving away from doorway* "Uhhhhhhhh... good?"**

**Me: *slowly turns in my seat, pure evil seeping from my eyeholes as I face the unwanted visitor***

**So this dickweed just basically invites himself into our house with these giant boxes and bags and just makes himself right at home on our floor, even though the Man of the House only agreed to taking the free sample. Fury was leaking from my pores, I swear to all that is right in this world. WHO THE FUCK JUST DOES THAT?! BUT. BUT. Unfortunately, I am a nice fucking human being that hates confrontation. So I sat there silently as he started unpacking his boxes and talked about his shitty Kirby vacuum he was dead set on selling us. Meanwhile I'm sending the Man of the House death glares. **

**He's in our house for a fucking HOUR. My friend showed up around halfway through. She knocks once and then just walks inside, because that's what friends do, ya know? She lays eyes on the stranger on the floor, greets him in a friendly manner I've always been jealous of her for, and then sits on the couch to join in our misery. And seriously, thank God she showed up, because that bitch can hold conversation with the most boring of vacuum salesmen, while I spent the entire time before her arrival not saying a single thing, only giving him my best "Why the fuck are you wasting my time with this shit" stare. (It was ineffective, apparently)**

**Then, he finally gets to the point and spits out some numbers.**

**THREE GRAND FOR A FUCKING VACUUM.**

**FUCK THAT! **

**FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK THAT!**

**Being the cold bitch that I am, I turn him down immediately. He tries to make a deal, knocking off some money and all that good shit. Nope. Turned him down a second time. Tries again. Bam, shot down. **

**So he starts packing up. Then a few minutes later, asks, "Okay, so what if I gave you an absolutely incredible deal that you can't refuse? Would you still refuse it?"**

**Without hesitation I answered, "Yeah, I would."**

**He called me brutal and I said, "Yeah, pretty much."**

**THEN. The cause of all this mess, the Man of the House, left for an interview at his work, leaving me and my friend to clean up this washed up salesman and send him on his way. Luckily, he realized I wasn't budging on making GODDAMN PAYMENTS on a vacuum, and packed his shit up and finally left. **

**BUT HOLY SHIT. Like, seriously? I should've asked him, "DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CLEAN!?" and then gestured wildly at the pile of pine needles still littering the carpet where the Christmas tree once was. I mean... sure, I'm jobless and childless... but I've got more important shit to do than vacuum all day. Like write fanfiction. And send snapchats of my cat to everyone in my contacts. Also sometimes I play Just Dance or Hyrule Warriors. BASICALLY I'M A BUSY BITCH. **

**Words of wisdom to anyone aspiring to be a door to door salesman, DON'T FUCKIN WASTE THE TIME OF SOMEONE LIVING IN A HOME WHERE THREE DEADLY WEAPONS AND AN EMPTY BOTTLE OF JIM BEAM BOURBON ARE OPENLY VISIBLE UPON WALKING THROUGH THE DOOR. I mean... come on. If the medieval flail hanging just inside the doorway wasn't warning enough that we're batshit crazy, then the nodachi leaning up against the wall next to an empty bottle of Fireball whiskey ought to have sent off some red lights. **

**Anyway... that's my crazy story for the day. So because of that madness... I didn't get my chapter finished before my friend showed up. Which meant I didn't get a second chance to write it until midnight when she and the neighbors left.**

**On a lighter note, I actually won at monopoly today, if you'll believe it. I guess throwing your money away at the beginning of the game and stocking up on land is actually less of a stupid idea than I originally thought... But, as it goes... that means I didn't listen to music again. I'M SO SORRY. DON'T BURN ME AT THE STAKE! Tomorrow the Man of the House will be working all day and won't be around to let strange men inside so I should be able to get a lot of shit done. I swear. I also don't have plans with friends so that'll help too. **

**Ugh, I wrote this chapter really sloppily and I hope you guys like it, but I'm sure tomorrow morning I'll read over it and hate myself a little inside. I'll get stuff organized, I promise. **

**I don't have any tracks planned out... so I'll just give you the song that's currently playing on my Pandora channel.**

**The Track:**

**"Bourbon Street" by Jeff Tuohy**

**Ha... it actually fits really well. Weird how that works out, huh? (it's really a great song. You should listen to it)**

**WITHOUT FURTHER ADO... I love you all. You are the greatest people ever. I hope you enjoy the chapter and not want me to die for updating so late at night and not listening to your songs and all that good crap. I did answer messages finally! If you noticed. So that's one thumbs up for me, eh?**

**Okay. I'm off to bed. I'm exhausted from all the hatred I exuded today. Have an absolutely splendid day. It might not be perfect, but there'll always be tomorrow to look forward to. Different day, different chapter, am I right? ;)**

**Always remember: moo if you're a cow. Bark if you're a dog. Stay true to yourself and never be ashamed of what you are.**

**Love-Moo**


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

"He's made it past isolation," Erza observed.

"What's next?" Mirajane asked.

"Next should be over the top cheerfulness."

"He's making his way over to Gray and Gajeel," Lisanna said.

Mirajane giggled, "That ought to be fun to see…"

* * *

><p>Levy held her chin in her hand, pouting.<p>

"What's your problem?" Gajeel drank slowly from his draft, eyeing the blue haired girl.

She looked away, "Nothing. I was just expecting you to act a _little _different when you got drunk. Instead, you're just the same ol' asshole as usual…"

He grunted, "That's why I don't see any point to it." He stared into his mug and swirled the golden liquid around. "All it does is make me tired."

"Hmph," she crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, "Boring…"

"Gray-sama…" Juvia placed her hands on Gray's arm. "Are you feeling alright? Would you like to rest in Juvia's lap for a while?"

"_I'M FINE_!" he jerked his arm, spilling alcohol onto the table. "_OH SHIT!_" he slapped his lips to the damp spot on the table and started sucking the loose liquid back up.

"_GRAY!_" Natsu ran up to the table and immediately collapsed onto the bench next to the ice mage, placing his five drafts down in front of him. "No seriously," he said, "How much are you at now?"

Juvia answered, "Eighteen."

Natsu laughed and smacked him on the back, "Let's even it up, alright Buddy?" He started chugging down his five drafts.

"_Natsu_," Gray grabbed the dragon slayer's shoulder and eyed him seriously. "We need to think about what we're going to do about this."

"_About what?_" Natsu gurgled through his drinking, spilling alcohol down his chin.

"Look around," Gray wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He pointed off across the guild hall. Natsu followed his hand curiously. "Erza's already knocked out for the night. Mirajane is drinking like a snail. Lucy's being suppressed by Loke. Gajeel is gettin' sleepy," he gestured at the iron dragon slayer as he yawned and blinked rapidly. "Elfman and Evergreen got some kind of thing goin' on in the corner over there…"

The two men stared at the couple sitting alone in the corner. Evergreen was perched in the giant's lap, flipping through her notebook as Elfman leaned back in his seat, downing another draft. Evergreen glanced up, noticed Natsu and Gray's stares, and whirled around, sliding her glasses down her nose.

Elfman turned to stone and she turned back to them, laughing nonchalantly, "Oh what's this?" her voice was barely heard across the hall. "A statue? So comfortable! That's the only reason I'm sitting here rather than on a chair, oh ho ho ho ho…"

Gajeel looked at Macao, who joined them momentarily, staring at the couple. "Does that count as being passed out?"

"I'll deliberate with Wakaba," he said and walked away.

Natsu finished off his eighteenth draft and then glanced at Gray, eyes going hazy, "Alright. So what we gonna do? What we _gotta _do?"

Gray grinned and nudged him, "Come on. It's easy. You haven't figured it out?"

Natsu's mouth stretched into a slow grin. "Ohhhh… I gotcha."

* * *

><p>Natsu and Gray stood on the counter, arms around each other's shoulders, sharing a lacrima mic as they belted out across the entire guild, "<em>FUCK YOU, I'M DRUNK! FUCK YOU, I'M DRUNK! POUR MY BEER DOWN THE DRAIN I'VE GOT MORE IN THE TRUNK!<em>"

Lucy laughed and clapped her hands as she bounced in front of them. "ENCORE ENCORE ENCORE!"

Natsu and Gray kicked their legs out and danced in place, latched onto each other as they continued to wail, "_FUCK YOU I'M DRUNK! FUCK YOU I'M DRUNK! AND I'M GOING TO BE DRUNK 'TIL THE NEXT TIME I'M DRUNK!_"

Erza and Mirajane and Cana watched from their table.

"This is progressing nicely," Erza observed.

"I'd say he's just one or two drinks away," Mirajane added.

Happy flew down to the women and sat down on the table. He looked to Erza, "Erza… you gotta protect me this time, okay?"

"Don't worry Happy," she answered. "You will be safe. I'm sure of it."

"I hope so…" he murmured.

"By the way, Cana," Mirajane said, drawing the woman's attention. "How many have you had?"

She shrugged, "Forty somethin'…"

"There's really no point for her to keep track anymore," Lisanna said as she walked up, a fresh draft in her hand. She gave it to her sister and then sat down beside her. "I think Elfman was at twenty-three when Evergreen turned him to stone and disqualified him. But everyone else is still under twenty."

They all watched Natsu and Gray sing for a little while.

Natsu lost his concentration and started cackling, bending over. Gray nudged him, trying, and failing, to keep the song going without him.

"AWW!" Gray tossed the mic. "You fucked it up!"

Natsu turned to him and lunged. He wrapped his arms and legs around the ice mage and they both tumbled behind the bar with a tremendous _CRASH_.

Erza, Cana, and Mirajane all held their breath.

Moments later, Gray stood, Natsu still latched onto his torso. He got an arm between them and pried him off, sending him back to the floor, trailing maniacal laughter in his wake.

Erza, Cana, and Mirajane all let out the breath.

"He's still in the cheerful stage," Mirajane said.

"Let's encourage him to go farther," Cana stood and waved at Kinana. "Kinana! Natsu needs another drink after that amazing song!"

"_AYE SIRRRRRR_!" Natsu's voice floated over the bar.

Lucy was dancing alone in the middle of the hall, stumbling and bumping tables. Loke went to steady her, but she shrieked, knocked his hand away, and bolted across the hall to the women's table.

"What are you doing?" she asked, leaning heavily on Lisanna's shoulder, panting and sweating.

"Lucy," Cana said, "Are you sure you wanna be over here?"

Mirajane added, "Yeah, wouldn't you have more fun over there by Natsu?"

"You should ask him to dance with you," Erza offered.

Lucy looked between the women, eyes falling from their faces to their chests momentarily before moving to the next.

"Why?" she asked.

"Oh… no reason. We just think you'd like to dance with him," Mirajane giggled.

Lucy rubbed her eyes and shook her head, "I just realized… you guys aren't the busybody committee…" her face brightened and she straightened, throwing her arms out, "You guys are the busy _TITTY _committee!" She propped her hands on her hips and guffawed at the ceiling. She snorted and then gave herself a high five over her head, "Good one, Lucy! I know. Thanks." She winked and flipped the women the bird before flouncing off across the guild once more, calling, "_Loooookeeeeee_, let's dance!"

The women were silent for a few moments before Erza said, "You know something…"

"She turns into someone when she's drunk…" Cana fingered her draft slowly.

Mirajane giggled, "Doesn't she remind you so much of Natsu?"

"As if one wasn't trouble enough," Lisanna laughed.

* * *

><p>"Well…" Levy cleared her throat and blushed, "Gajeel is out at eighteen…"<p>

Juvia sighed and stared at her in envy. "I wish Gray-sama would grow tired and fall asleep in Juvia's lap…"

Levy looked away, pretending that she wasn't pleased about the iron dragon slayer snoozing on her thighs. In the end, she couldn't stop herself from peering down at his sleeping face and reaching out to gently stroke his wild black hair. A small smile stretched across her face.

Juvia groaned, "_Juvia is so jealous_!" She turned on the bench and whined, "_GRAY-SAMA!_ Pay attention to your Juvi-wuvi!"

Gray joined her at the table, three drafts in his hands. "Juvia, be sure you're counting," he scolded. "I'm about to overtake Natsu again."

She sighed and leaned into his side, "Of course my darling!"

"Mirajane!" Cana shouted. "Sing for us!"

"Oh," she pressed her hand to her cheek, "I shouldn't… I really… okay." She stood and went to the place Gray had tossed the mic. She picked it up and then walked to the counter where she pulled herself up and cleared her throat.

"Yay Mira!" Lucy cheered, barely keeping her feet as Loke clutched her around the waist.

Mirajane smiled sweetly, "This is a slow song. It's about love. I hope it strikes inspiration in someone's heart tonight."

"WOOOOOO!" Lucy screamed, squeezing her eyes shut, "WOOOO SHOW ME YOUR BOOBS!"

Mirajana started singing a sweet melody, filling the guild hall with her gentle voice. Lucy turned to Loke and demanded he dance with her like she was a fancy lady, leaning heavily on his chest.

As the words of love swelled in the air, Natsu's pink hair slowly appeared over the counter, followed soon by his golden eyes. He peered over the bar and found Lucy immediately. He stared for long seconds, brain ticking inside his head like a bomb. How much did he have to drink? Twenty? Twenty-one?

God it didn't matter. The alcohol had diluted his blood. He was fueled now purely by the toxin and his instincts. He watched as Lucy stumbled awkwardly off the beat of the song, entirely too close to Loke, in his opinion.

Something struck him in the stomach. His eyes grew wide and the muscles in his crouching legs tensed. His breath grew fast and ragged. The alcohol was muddling his mind. He couldn't quite grasp…

Happy gasped and hid behind Erza. "Th-those eyes!" he quivered. "It's happening again! Erza protect me!"

"Don't worry Happy," Erza said softly. "This time he's not looking at you."

Lucy spun away from Loke, throwing her arms wide with a joyful laugh.

And that was went she was hit by a freight train.

Natsu had climbed over the counter and shot across the hall in an instant. He didn't slow as he made a straight line for the dancing blonde. He caught her on his shoulder, lifting her high and then collapsing on the ground in a heap, promptly wrapping his arms and legs around her and shoving his face into her collar.

Lucy let out a scream and tugged at him, but he was immovable.

"Nassu!" she cried, wiggling in his grasp. "Lemme go!"

Natsu buried his face in deeper against her skin, inhaling her scent. He squeezed her tighter around the chest with his arms and around her thighs with his legs.

"Gack!" Lucy squirmed, "My bones are breaking!"

Erza and Cana walked up, grins on their faces. Happy was holding on to Erza's shoulder, eyes wary.

"Help me out!" Lucy reached out towards the women. "Somethin's come over Nassu! He just suddenly attacked me!"

Cana chuckled, "You've been chosen. You should feel happy."

"What?" Lucy jerked against him but only succeeded on rolling them to the side.

"Meet drunk Natsu," Erza said. "He's an incredibly stubborn being that searches out the thing closest to him and attaches to it until he sobers up."

"I wasn't closest to him, though!" Lucy complained. "Mira was!"

Erza's smile softened, "I didn't mean it that way."

Lucy stared up at her for a moment.

"I don't get it."

Cana sighed, "Man, drunk Lucy is even denser than sober Natsu. She means he latches on to the thing he loves most in the world, stupid head!"

Lucy gazed at her for a long minute and then glanced down at the pink haired man that had her in the bear hug of her life. He nuzzled his nose against her collar and let out a sigh, squeezing her tighter.

Lucy grimaced as her bones creaked.

"You might as well accept it now," Cana said. "He's not letting go until morning. So get comfortable."

Lucy gulped and reached up. She laced her fingers in Natsu's hair and gently combed it back, "Well… I guess there's just no helping it then…"

Erza and Cana shared a grin. Happy sighed in relief.

"See, Happy?" Erza looked at him, "No broken bones this time!"

"His bear hugs are too much for one cat to handle," Happy murmured.

Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu and rested her cheek on the top of his head, smiling gently.

"C'mon," Cana turned, "Let's leave the lovebirds alone."

* * *

><p>Morning finally rolled around and the guild awoke to groaning.<p>

Gray roused from his place against the wall, leaning against Juvia, "Ugh," he pressed his hand to his head, "_Man_. My head is _killing _me!"

Gajeel rolled over and fell off of Levy's lap, and the bench. He crashed to the floor and immediately sat up, "_What the hell_?" his gravelly voice grumbled under the table.

Levy sighed in relief and stretched her legs, "Oh man… they're so asleep!"

"Good morning!" Mirajane passed by, a tray of dirty dishes in her hands. She smiled brightly, "Did you sleep well?"

Gray and Gajeel replied with grunts.

She giggled and moved on.

Erza stood and stretched her arms over her head, letting out a satisfied sigh, "A new day! What shall we do today? Plan Lucy and Natsu's wedding?"

Mirajane giggled and looked in the direction of the blonde and the dragon slayer. "They haven't woken up yet. I can't wait to hear what they have to say!"

"Why did the drinks stop comin'?" Cana sat up on the counter and glanced around, blinking sleepily. "I can still go on! Kinana! Where are you?"

"She went home to sleep," Lisanna yawned. "Like we all should do."

The women gathered in the center of the guild and Wendy joined them.

They all turned towards Lucy and Natsu, who just began to stir.

"This is it," Erza whispered. "We'll have a spring wedding after all!"

Natsu's arms and legs tensed and them slowly slid away from Lucy. He stretched them out wide, eyes still closed as his mouth gaped open with a yawn. Lucy gently rolled out of his grasp and lay on her other side on the floor, facing the counter. Her brow furrowed and she slowly started to flutter her eyes open.

Natsu sat up, scratching his head, peering through slits in his eyes around the guild hall. He reached for his scarf, but it wasn't there. He started searching the floor around him. That's when he noticed Lucy sitting up beside him, scarf around her neck.

Lucy yawned and held her head in her hands, groaning as pain lanced through her brain. She lowered her hands slowly and glanced towards Natsu. They made eye contact and held it for long seconds.

The women watching all leaned forward expectantly, bright smiles on their faces and twinkles in their eyes.

Natsu's hand slowly reached out, quivering in the air.

Lucy gulped and held her breath.

His fingers drew nearer and nearer, searching.

Erza covered her mouth to keep the excitement in. Mirajane and Lisanna clasped hands. Wendy squeezed her hands into fists and held them up. Cana grinned and took a drink from the draft in her hand.

Natsu suddenly grabbed the scarf and yanked, "WHY DO YOU HAVE MY SCARF, LUCY!?"

Lucy shrieked and covered her ears, "DON'T YELL YOU DUMBASS!"

Natsu wrapped the scarf around his neck and glared at her.

She moaned and looked around, "Why am I on the floor?" she looked up at the women standing just a short distance away, jaws down to their ankles. "What did I _do _last night? I feel awful!"

"Hey Happy!" Natsu glanced around the guild, "How much did I end up drinking last night?"

The blue cat flew over and landed on the ground next to him, "You mean… you don't remember?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly and laughed, "Nah. I don't really remember anything."

"And you, Lucy?" Wendy asked. "Do you remember anything?"

"Hm…" she pursed her lips and tapped her chin. "I remember Loke getting mad at me..." she blushed, "But that's it. Man… I must've drank a lot, didn't I?"

Erza, Cana, Mirajane, Lisanna, and Wendy all collapsed to the floor. Natsu and Lucy exchanged a confused glance.

The busy titty committee had failed once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Eh. Not as exciting as you expected, huh? Oh well. It's the best I got today. For those of you wondering, Natsu and Gray's song is a real song. It was just so perfect that I couldn't NOT use it. It's called "Fuck You I'm Drunk" by Flogging Molly and you NEEEEEED to listen to it. It's absolutely perfect. It even sounds like a couple of drunk guys singing in a bar with background drunk noises too. Seriously. If this is the only song you look up out of all my suggestions, I'm fine with that.<strong>

**Okay, I don't have any good stories to tell. Except I dropped my phone in water today but it's okay. Yay.**

**So here's your musical suggestions from lovely lovely readers. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by BchanShips:<strong>

**"Silhouettic" by Bird of Tokyo**

**"Broken Bones" by Birds of Tokyo**

**"Thin Air" by Anathema**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by Black Star's Wife:<strong>

**"Situations" by Escape the Fate**

**"Hurricane" by Eric Benet**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by 13Pie:<strong>

**"Stay" by Coasts**

**"One Day" by Kodaline**

**"Come Back Home" by Two Door Cinema Club**

**"Weight of Living Part 1" by Bastille (considering that the 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' is one of my absolute favorite poems EVER, I totally love this suggestion and basically anything that includes the whole 'albatross around your neck' lesson. LOVE IT!)**

* * *

><p><strong>Anyway, that's all I have, I think... if I missed your suggestion, I'm so sorry. You can bitch me out and remind me if you like and I'll totally do it next time. But I scoured the reviews just now and don't think I missed any... then again, to err is human, amiright?<strong>

**Oh yeah! I forgot that I do sorta have a mini story. So one time I was... drinking a little... and playing Just Dance with my neighbors (AND KICKING THEIR ASSES BECAUSE BOOYAH) and I checked my email and had a new review. So, upon reading it, I decided, "HEY! Great idea. Lemme reply to this review. I'm totally not too drunk. Totally not." so I replied. And I sounded dumb. BUT in the middle of this reply was when I thought of getting Natsu drunk. So I told the person that I was talking to that I'd mention him in the 'credits' when I did that because he was my inspiration. So! I will keep my promise.**

**Thanks Darkverger1 for being my inspiration even though I was just acting like a weirdo and messaging you when I was drunk! :P I probably wouldn't have thought of it otherwise, so I do give you the credit! Haha, anyway. That's my story.**

**Remember: moo if you're a cow. Bark if you're a dog. Stay true to yourself and never be ashamed of what you are.**

**Love-Moo**


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

"Natsu, can we go on a job?" Lucy sat next to the rosy haired dragon slayer at the counter. "I'm running a little low on money and I need rent in a week."

Natsu sighed, "Ain't that the usual story? When you gonna think of an original excuse?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "It's not an excuse. It's the truth. You know that place you break in to every night like a baby crying to his mommy about the monsters under his bed? Yeah, that ain't free."

"Hmmmmm..." Natsu stared forward dully. "Nah…"

She scowled at him and then stood, "Fine! I'll go find one by myself then!" She stomped off to the job board.

Mirajane came to stand before Natsu, "Are you and Lucy fighting?"

Natsu pursed his lips, "Nope."

She cocked her head to the side, "No? Then why did she just walk away looking thoroughly angry at you?"

He shrugged, "Beats me."

Realizing she wasn't going to get anything out of the unusually indifferent man, she moved along.

Natsu sighed and turned on his stool. His eyes fell immediately on Lucy as she stood in front of the job board, arms crossed over her chest. He could see her mouth working; she was probably muttering to herself about how annoying he was being lately. Her hair was in low pigtails today, with a blue ribbon in the left and a yellow one in the right. He watched closely as she leaned forward, soft brown eyes darting quickly over the description written on a sheet of paper on the board.

His chest swelled and he rubbed it in distress. The longer he watched her, the tighter that strange knot under his skin got. _What is wrong with me_? he thought. Lucy moved to the next paper, rubbing the smooth white skin of her throat absently. Natsu was miserable. As dumb as he was sometimes, he wasn't so dumb not to realize that he had a serious case of the love for his partner. _Not fair_, he pouted inwardly, clasping his hands together in his lap, twiddling his thumbs nervously. _I never intended to ever, EVER fall in love with anybody. Why did this happen to me_? All that he ought to think about is protecting his friends, becoming the most powerful mage in the history of Fiore, no, _the world_, and living happily at Fairy Tail until he died of old age.

Was that really all that much to ask for?

"Whoa," Laxus walked up and stood in front of Natsu, blocking off his view of the blonde at the board. "I've never seen a dense idiot like you with that gloomy of an expression before."

Natsu glared up at him, "_LAXUS_! Fight me!"

"No."

He settled down and peered around the impressive expanse of chest hiding Lucy from him.

Laxus cocked an eyebrow, "You're not going to argue? Are you sick or something?"

Natsu deliberated for a moment, "If I'm not myself, kinda queasy, exhausted, sore, and unhappy, does that mean I'm sick?"

"In the head, maybe," Laxus casually followed the fellow dragon slayer's gaze across the guild. He noticed the celestial spirit mage scratching her head as she fussed over the job board next to Nab. Understanding flowed into his mind and he snorted. "Actually," he turned back to Natsu. "Sounds more like you're love sick."

Natsu's face flared red and he jumped to his feet, "WH-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU'RE JUST TALKING NONSENSE! NOW FIGHT ME!" He jumped at the larger man, hands flaming, but Laxus batted him away easily and took his stool.

"I come over here to offer my help, and that's how you repay me?" he rested his arms on the counter behind him and crossed one leg over the other.

"Help?" Natsu eyed him warily. "What makes you think I need your help?"

"So you don't want it then?" Laxus straightened as if to stand, "Guess I'll just forget it then…"

"Wait!" Natsu shouted. He gritted his teeth and then sat on the stool next to him, hands clutching the seat between his legs. "Okay, tell me what you got."

Laxus suppressed his grin, "Well, I'm assuming you've got something for Lucy."

Natsu jerked his head away, "Th-that's just your opinion!"

"Hm? Am I wrong? If I'm wrong then I guess my advice won't really work… maybe I should go then…"

"Okay fine!" Natsu turned back to him, fire spilling out of his mouth. "Fine! You're right, okay? Ever… ever since the job Erza gave me to follow and observe her… I've got this pain in my chest," he pointed to the spot and then rubbed it in irritation. "And like… I've been noticing things that I always just kinda ignored in the past, ya know? Like… how pretty her hair is in the sunlight. And like how warm it feels when she touches me or just smiles at me." He stared down at the floor. "And I'm a fire dragon slayer. So nothing ever really feels warm to _me_, right? But… _she_ does."

Laxus rubbed his chin, "Hmm… that's some dilemma you got yourself into."

"I know!" he let out an exasperated groan. "What am I supposed to do? Should I kick her ass?"

"I… I don't think that's going to solve a damn thing… but I mean… I'm not a professional in this area…"

Natsu sighed, "I've never had a problem that I wasn't able to solve by kicking somebody's ass."

"Well…" Laxus' eyes moved lazily across the guild. An idea struck him and he said, "Actually… I wasn't going to say anything… but I figure you deserve to know. Since you're stressing out about it so much I guess I'll tell you."

Natsu looked up at him, "What?"

"Well," he cleared his throat and leaned slightly in his direction, "I heard the other day that Elfman was thinking about asking Lucy out. Supposedly he's had a huge crush on her since she first came to the guild."

"_WHAT_?" Natsu leapt to his feet and whirled in the direction of the giant, white haired, takeover mage.

"You didn't hear it from me," Laxus said before the fiery dragon slayer was soaring across the guild.

"_ELFMAN_!" he roared, entire body catching fire. "_FIGHT ME_!"

Elfman quickly took to his feet, shouting, "OH YEAH! MANLY!"

They fell to battle and Lucy stomped over to them, yelling, "Natsu! If you have this much energy, let's go on a job!"

"Stay out of this, Lucy!" Natsu punched Elfman in the cheek and then took a returning uppercut to the chin. "It's got nothin' to do with you!"

Laxus chuckled and leaned back. "He's too easy…"

Mirajane, Erza, and Cana stood from their hiding place behind the bar. They leaned over the counter.

"Hm," Erza said. "Well, he at least _realizes _that he loves her."

Laxus glanced at the women with a cocked eyebrow.

"Now how do we get him to act on it?" Cana grumbled, tapping her fingers on the side of her flask.

"Oh dear," Mirajane sighed. "This is turning out to be quite difficult."

Laxus stared at them for a long moment before asking, "How long were you back there?"

"All morning," Erza admitted.

Laxus turned forward and grunted, "Should've known."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So I just kinda threw Laxus in there randomly. You'd think I'd have more of him around, considering the fact that he's one of my all time favorite characters. Seriously, in the Tenrou Arc when he showed his glorious, furious face, I squealed loud enough to wake the entire city, I'm sure. What a man! *tiger noises* Once when I tied down my friend and forced her to watch several episodes of Fairy Tail against her will, she told me she was honestly worried about the gasping, squealy, excited noises I'd make whenever he would come onto the screen. What can I say? He's a total hunk.<strong>

**Anyway. So I have this problem. Of letting things expire. Okay so the other day I went through my fridge and found a thing of greek yogurt that expired in September. Also there was some bread in my cupboards that was best used by October. And a jar of gravy that my mom gave me way back at Thanksgiving. And so my neighbors spend a lot of time at my house, right? Which is fine, I've known them for years and went to high school with the woman. (We'll call her Picole.) And the man (We'll call him Breuf) I've only really known for about a year but he's like a brother to me now. So Breuf likes to come over and nonchalantly raid our fridge and cupboards, not so nonchalantly asking, "Food. Do you have it?" when he walks through the door... It's fine. We feed him and sometimes he cooks for us. **

**So I was going through my cupboard, found the bread, read the date and said, "I don't even see any mold- Oh fuck never mind." *puts back in cupboard***

**Breuf: "Did you just put it back in the cupboard?"**

**Me: *feigns innocence* "Hm?"**

**A different night.**

**Me: "Oh wow, this yogurt expired in September!" *puts back in fridge***

**Breuf: "Did you just put it back in the fridge?"**

**Me: "Shut the fuck up Breuf."**

**A different night.**

**Me: "Haven't we had this gravy since Thanksgiving?" *pops open lid, sniffs contents***

**Breuf: "Stay away from me."**

**Me: "Breuf, smell this."**

**Breuf: "No."**

**A different friend of mine, we'll call her Austria, ran from the house the second my eyes fell on her.**

**Me: *sniffs again* "I really can't smell anything. I think it's totally fine. Except for the mold on the edges..." *Offers it to Breuf* "Smell."**

**Breuf: *gives in and smells* "Oh! Yeah, it doesn't even smell that bad!"**

**Me: *puts the lid back on... stares at it for long seconds.***

**Breuf: "Or we just breathed in toxic fungi and are slowly dying."**

**Me: *staring at jar, turning it over in my hands* "I'm gonna put it back." *sticks it in the fridge***

**Austria: "NO. THROW IT AWAY."**

**Breuf: "It's a science experiment now! For science!"**

**Me: "Yeah! For science!"**

**Austria(a biology major): "FUCK SCIENCE. THAT'S DISGUSTING."**

**So yeah. The gravy is still in the fridge. But I did throw away the bread and the yogurt. Just because it got my hopes up every time I saw them and thought, "Man I could really go for some bread/yogurt."**

**Also, my eggs expired the beginning of this month. **

**So anyway, now you know how utterly disgusting I am. Yay! Really random story. Sorry.**

**Tracks!**

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><p><strong>"Can't Pretend" by Tom Odell<strong>

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><p><strong>"No Angel" by Birdy (This song goes along more with when Lucy and Natsu reunited after she left and she confessed her guilt about the whole Azamin thing.)<strong>

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><p><strong>Okay! That's pretty much all I have for you guys. Sorry this chapter is kind of shorter than the others have been. I'm transitioning into the new arc, so I am a little lost on what to do at the moment. But I'll get it figured out. Also, this new arc is completely up in the air right now. I have no idea how it's gonna turn out. So that'll be an adventure for both of us. :)<strong>

**As usual, thanks so much to everyone that takes the time out of your lives to show me support! It's absolutely awesome times three hundred billion! I love each and every one of you! Feel free to message me for any reason whatsoever! I'm here!**

**Remember: moo if you're a cow. Bark if you're a dog. Stay true to yourself and never be ashamed of what you are.**

**Love-Moo**


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Lucy watched him as he walked in front of her, hands stacked behind his head. Had she done something wrong? She clasped her hands behind her back and walked slowly, staring. The entire job, he had been silent, only answering her relentless questions with one or two word replies.

_Maybe he wasn't lying when he said he really didn't want to go on the job_, she thought anxiously. _And now he's mad at me_. She pursed her lips, eyes glued to the wild pink hair being flattened by his hands at the back of his head. _But then why did he come_? _It's not like I was forcing him…_

She sighed miserably. There was nothing worse than being ignored by Natsu. It was different with everyone else. While her other guild members were busy, with minds filled with personal troubles and thoughts, Natsu was always good for a cheerful greeting and joyful smile. She could always count on him to see her when she was feeling invisible. He could always pull her out of any slump with just one toothy grin.

But lately, he barely spared her a single glance when she spoke to him, and he'd always find some kind of excuse to leave the room when she entered. Lucy turned her eyes to the road they walked along as tears rose. It was just like when Carla told them about her visions and he avoided her like a plague afterwards. Except this time, she couldn't think of a single reason why he was acting in such a way.

_What have I done wrong_? She wiped at the tears before they could fall. She was getting so tired of crying so much.

Happy flew overhead, glancing between the two of them worriedly. Lucy looked like she was on the verge of an all-out breakdown, and Natsu… Natsu looked like he just didn't care.

_Stupid Natsu_, the cat thought with a scowl. _Why do you have to be so dumb sometimes_?

Lucy cleared her throat, "Hey… Natsu?"

"Hm?" he didn't bother to look at her.

"I… I was just wondering… have I done something to upset you?" she rubbed her hands together, staring at them despondently.

"Nope."

She gulped, "Then… then why are you ignoring me?"

"I'm not."

"O-okay…"

Lucy hugged herself and stared at the canal they walked beside. Her brows furrowed and she bit her lip, trying to suppress the tears pushing at the gates of her eyes.

Happy flew down to Natsu and knocked him on the head with a closed paw.

"Hey," Natsu rubbed the spot and glared up at his feline friend. "What the hell was _that _for?"

Happy glared at him and then jerked his tail in Lucy's direction. Natsu slowly turned to the blonde. She… she looked so… _sad_. His heart throbbed in his chest. Lucy should _never_ look that sad. She… she should smile and laugh and brighten up the day of everyone that sees her. Why was she so…

_Oh._ Natsu gulped and stopped walking.

Lucy passed him, ducking her head, blonde hair falling over her eyes.

"Lucy."

She hesitated and turned towards him, avoiding his stare. "What?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I just realized how big of a jerk I'm being."

She glanced up at his face. He smiled brightly, "Will you go fishing with me?"

Relief hit Lucy like one of Aquarius' tidal waves. Different kinds of tears filled her eyes and she let the happiness show on her face. "S-sure! Yeah! I want to!"

Natsu stared at her for a moment as she brushed away her tears happily, mouth smiling gently. He really couldn't believe how big of an idiot he was sometimes. He couldn't punish Lucy for the strange feelings he felt for her. If he really loved her as much as he thought he did, then making her happy should be the first thing on his mind. Even if she never returned his feelings… even if he never got to hold her and… _kiss_ her the way he really, _desperately_ wanted to… if she was happy, then he should be too.

He smiled at her and turned, "Come on, I'll race you to the lake!"

They took off down the road, laughing.

Even if he could only watch her from the sidelines as she fell in love with someone else, he should be content that she was happy.

* * *

><p>Oh, who was he <em>kidding<em>?

Natsu sank into his hammock and stared miserably across the room. How could he just sit back and watch happily as Lucy went about her life without him? There's no _way_ he could tolerate her being with anybody else. It was just… impossible. Absolutely no way. He'd rather gouge his eyes out than see that. He'd rather admit that Gray was a better mage than him than see that. He'd rather be stuck in a glass cage again than see that.

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. He'd do _anything _to get her to love him the way he loved her. _Anything_! He'd change the way he dressed. He'd give up picking fights with every person he met. He'd stop eating fire for her!

But… Lucy wouldn't want that, would she? Lucy would want him to stay the way he was. She was just that kind of person. She was the type of person that thought Natsu was fine the way he was. She would never ask him to change. That's one of the many, many reasons that Natsu loved the woman.

His heart ached and he clutched his chest with a moan. Why did he have to catch this terrible disease? Seeing her every day, looking so… so _pretty_ was torture for the young dragon slayer. He stacked his hands under his head and blew air out of his mouth slowly. Maybe he should pretend to be sick and stay home for a few days.

No. That wouldn't work. She'd be there with medicine and soup within ten hours. His heart thump-thumped and he moaned louder. What the hell was he going to _do_?!

The morning light filtered through the window on the wall across the room. A shine glinted across his eyes and drew his attention down to the window sill. He cocked his head to the side. There was a small jar sitting on the window sill with a light pink substance inside.

Natsu stood and went to the window. He lifted the jar and sat down at the dining table. He turned it over in his hands. The content of the container was thick, like gelatin. There was a label glued to the outside of the jar with dark writing on it.

"Hmmm," he read the words slowly. "Magic Cream. Guaranteed to make the one you love squeal with joy just at the sight of you…" Natsu blinked in astonishment and then quickly read the rest. "Apply liberally to face, neck, chest, and wrists. Use entire jar for best results. Effective almost immediately."

He sat back in his chair, staring down at the jar in shock. Where had it come from? He didn't remember ever noticing it there before. His eyes ran over the words, _guaranteed to make the one you love squeal with joy just at the sight of you_, over and over again. He gulped, heart pounding faster in his chest. His mind whirled. He closed his eyes and drifted into a daydream.

_Natsu walked into the guild. His eyes fell immediately on Lucy as she sat at the counter. As if feeling his presence, she turned quickly on her stool. At the sight of him, her brown eyes widened. Her mouth stretched wide in a vibrant smile. Her entire face brightened and she let out an overjoyed cry. "Natsu!" she jumped down from her stool and ran across the guild, throwing her arms around his neck the second she was close enough._

_He hugged her back, breathing in her delicate scent and reveling in the soft warmth that spread over him._

_"Natsu," she whispered gently into his ear._

_"Lucy," he replied, equally as soft._

_She pulled back and gazed deeply into his eyes, "Natsu… I… I love you." She leaned forward slowly, eyes sliding closed, lips drawing nearer and nearer. Natsu moved to meet her halfway…_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGHHHHH!" Heat blazed up Natsu's cheeks and he nearly fell out of his chair. He dropped the jar on the table and smacked his red cheeks with the palms of his hands. "_Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it!_" He sat gasping for long seconds, staring intently down at the jar.

Surely it was impossible. That… that would _never _happen. He gulped and looked away out the window dejectedly.

_Make the one I love squeal with joy just at the sight of me, huh_? Natsu glanced at the jar and then away again. _What a load of crap._

But… what if it was _true_?

He turned back to the jar and glared at it.

_I mean… it's probably a joke, right_? He swallowed the lump in his throat. _But… well… I guess there's no harm in just… trying it…_

Natsu grabbed the jar and untwisted the top. He gazed down at the pink cream for painful seconds as his heart throbbed in his chest. He set the jar down again and quickly unwrapped the scarf from around his neck.

"Alright," he decided. "I'll try it." He removed his jacket and set both it and the scarf on the table. "But only because I'm curious. That's all."

He picked up the jar again and stared at the cream for another moment as he gathered his courage. He inhaled deeply and held his breath as he dipped his fingers inside.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: You guys remember back in chapter six when Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were going to go fishing but Happy had to empty out his knapsack to make room for all the fish he was going to catch? Remember when he found a strange jar? Remember how Natsu called him out of the house before he could finish reading the label? ;) That's right. This moment has been waiting patiently for 40 whole chapters. Weird, huh?<strong>

**Tracks:**

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><p><strong>"Need It" by Half Moon Run<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Don't have much to say today.<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

His breath came quick and short as he rushed down the street towards the guild hall. He stumbled not once, but three times when the toe of his sandals caught on the cobblestones and sent him off balance. Three times he clutched the empty jar to his chest protectively as his left hand plunged towards the ground to steady himself. Three times he was reminded just how close the ground really was.

How did he get himself into this mess? He grumbled and picked up the pace. He should've known better than to meddle with sketchy jars he found just lying around the house. It was even sitting on the window sill. Who knows how long it was there, being exposed to the sun. The heat could've turned it bad. Or it could've been bad from the start.

Either way, he needed to get to the guild quick. Someone there _had _to know what to do to reverse it. Maybe Levy. She was the smartest mage in the guild, after all. Or maybe the old man. He'd been around the block a few times. Maybe he's experienced something like this before.

The guild was just up ahead now. He thanked his lucky stars that he hadn't run in to anybody along the way there. The few people he did see loitering the morning streets paid him no heed as he hurried by.

He stumbled again, almost slamming his face into the cobblestones. He growled as he climbed back to his feet. Where was Happy when he needed him? First of all, the cat could've explained to him where the strange jar came from. Second of all, he could've encouraged him _not _to smear the contents of it all over his body. Thirdly, he could've flown him to the guild when he ignored his advice and did it anyway.

"Stupid Happy!" he exclaimed. "I blame you for all my problems!"

Finally he was at the doors of the guild. He leaned his shoulder into the heavy wood and shoved with all his might. They folded inwards and he rushed inside.

"_GUYS_!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Everyone in the guild turned to the voice at the entrance. "_I FUCKED UP BIG TIME_!"

Erza and Gray slowly stood from their table, eyes growing wide as they stared at the person before them.

"N-Natsu?" Gray said.

"Yeah, that's right, ice for brains! Who else would it be?" Natsu ranted, waving his arms over his head wildly.

"Natsu," Erza said. "Why are you so small?"

Everyone stood and moved to the tiny dragon slayer as he thumped his way further into the guild hall. He clutched at the hem of his pants, which were several sizes much too large for him anymore. The toe of his giant sandals caught on the floor and he tripped, slamming down on his chest.

"Ungh!" the jar slipped out of his hand and rolled away. He sat up and rubbed his chin where it had connected with the floor.

Mirajane crouched next to him, "I can't believe it! You look just like you did when you were a little boy!"

"Shut up!" he whined, sitting up on his butt, still rubbing his chin with tears in his eyes.

Everyone in the guild cooed and moved closer.

"Aw!" Cana scooped the tiny Natsu into her arms and hugged him, "Lookit his cute little face!" she squeezed his cheeks as he squirmed against her, desperately trying to keep his pants from sliding off of his legs.

"Stop it!" he complained. "Stop making fun of me and just help me go back to normal! It's not funny!"

He searched the crowd chuckling around him until he found the blue haired mage he was looking for.

"Levy!" he held his hand out to her. "I need you!"

"Me?" her cheeks flushed.

Gajeel stepped forward, "Hm, I've wondered what it'd be like to kick a little kid's ass…"

"Bring it on!" Natsu shouted. "I'll take you on any day, metal head!" He twisted in Cana's grasp and inhaled deeply. "Fire dragon's… _roar_!" a tiny stream of fire puffed out of his mouth and everyone stared at it in shock.

"Natsu," Gray said. "You suck."

"Shut up!"

"It's just like when you were a little kid," Erza said, rubbing her chin in thought. "And yet you remember Gajeel, whom you met when you were older…"

"How could I forget his metal ass?" Natsu squirmed in Cana's grasp until she released him and he fell to his knees on the floor. "Where is it," he searched until he found the jar resting between Elfman's feet. He snatched it up and turned to Levy again. "You gotta reverse it!" he demanded, holding the jar out to her. "Turn me back to normal!"

Levy took the jar from him and turned it over in her hand. She read the label out loud for everyone to hear, "Magic Cream. Guaranteed to make the one you love squeal with joy just at the sight of you."

Everyone froze and stared at the young, pink haired boy.

"What?" he muttered.

Abruptly, the entire guild erupted in laughter.

Natsu's head burned, "_Stop laughing_!"

Gray leaned on Erza, hand on his bare abdomen, "You're such a loser, Natsu!"

"You actually used this to get the one you love to love you back?" Elfman guffawed, "Now that's unmanly!"

_I don't see what's so weird about it_, Juvia slithered up behind Levy's shoulder, peering at the jar. _Is there any left_?

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Natsu stomped his feet in proper tantrum form.

"So then who is it?" Macao asked, grinning through his mustache. "Who is it you're trying to get to squeal with joy at the sight of you?"

Natsu's cheeks flared red and he didn't answer.

"Well it's obviously none of us," Lisanna said, smirking. "Since none of us squealed when we saw him."

Natsu crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. "I… I don't want no one to squeal with joy. I didn't read the label before I put it on."

"Suuuuuuuuuuuure," Gray laughed.

"C'mon, Natsu," Erza encouraged. "Don't be shy. Tell us who it is you love."

"NO ONE!"

"What's going on in here?" a voice called from the entrance of the guild.

Natsu froze.

Lucy walked over to the group, Happy flying above her. Kinana, Laki, and Wendy all stepped aside so she could enter the circle with the others.

Happy gasped when he saw the subject of everyone's attention. He flew down to Erza and perched on her shoulder. "Uh, what happened?"

Lucy made it to the center of the circle, eyes falling on the tiny, pink haired boy in extra-large clothes. His cheeks were bright red, golden eyes huge in his head.

Lucy's eyes widened and she let out a scream of utter delight. She slapped her hands to her face as she shrieked.

"OH MY GOD!" she lunged for the boy and quickly scooped him up in her arms, hugging him tightly against her chest. "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! A MINI NATSU! HOW ADORABLE!"

Everyone else exchanged knowing glances.

"Well," Erza grinned, "I guess that answers _that_ question." She and Mirajane high fived.

Lucy promptly started showering the little boy with kisses all over his face. "Ahhh! He's so cute!"

"Uhh…" Levy reached a hand out, "Lu-chan?"

"He's soooooooooo cute!" Lucy squeezed him tightly. "I just want to take you home with me and never let you go!"

Natsu was in heaven. Or hell. He couldn't decide.

"Lu-chan?"

Lucy finally paid attention to the solid script mage, "What is it, Levy?"

"Uhm… well. I know he's cute and all… but that's really Natsu in your arms right now."

Lucy hugged him again, "So cute. I never realized how adorable he was as a kid!"

"Uhm…"

Lucy looked around, "What happened? Why is he like this?"

"Besides the fact that he's an idiot?" Gray asked.

Natsu was too busy being snuggled by the object of his love to retort.

"Well," Levy said. "He used this magic cream here," she held up the jar. "And it kind of reverted him back to the way he was as a child."

Lucy knelt and released Natsu, much to his relief/disappointment. She straightened his scarf. "Back to the way he was as a child…" she smiled gently. "Do you know who I am, Natsu? My name is Lucy, and we become great friends when you get older."

"Uhm…" Levy scratched the back of her neck. "No… Lucy…"

"Hm?" she glanced up at her. "What?"

An idea struck the blue haired mage, "That's right. He doesn't remember a single thing past his current age."

Natsu jerked his head up towards her, "Wait—"

"Poor thing," Lucy ruffled his hair, "I'm sure you must be so confused right now." She hugged him to her chest, squishing his face against her bosom. "Don't worry. Big Sis Lucy will take care of you."

Natsu deliberated for a moment. Maybe pretending to forget would be alright…

Lucy pulled back and then patted his cheek, "How about you come with me and we go take a bath in the hot springs together? Doesn't that sound like fun?"

She pretty much made the decision for him. He shuffled his feet and blinked shyly up at her. "I guess that'd be okay, Big Sis Lucy…"

"_EHHHHH_?" the guild erupted.

"That little pervert!" Carla turned her nose up at the boy.

"I think that's a splendid idea!" Erza stepped forward, placing her fists on her hips. "Let's all go, shall we, ladies?"

Natsu hesitated, _Ugh, I didn't expect other people to try to butt in…_

"Yeah!" Cana said. "That sounds fun!"

"I'm in," Mirajane giggled.

All three women stared at Natsu with mischievous glints in their eyes.

"Uh…" he scratched his head, "Actually… I think it's all coming back to me now… oh! Oh yeah!" he pointed to Lucy. "I know you! You're my partner and one of my closest friends! Yeah! I remember everything now!"

Lucy sat back and stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"You're just the same ol' Natsu in a tiny body, aren't you?" she asked.

He looked away, "Uhhh… Yeah."

Lucy stood slowly, vein pulsing in her forehead. "Well… then I guess you can handle it if I do this… _LUCY KICK_!" she whipped her leg out and sent the little boy flying across the guild.

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her guild mates standing around. "Well, how come none of you told me?"

Everyone cleared their throats and shuffled their feet. She sighed and turned to Levy. "So what's going on then? Why is Natsu like that?"

"Well," she glanced down at the jar in her hands. "Apparently he used this magic cream…"

"Lemme see it," she offered her hand. "Maybe there's a hint on it that says how we can reverse it."

"Uh," Levy covered the label. Her heart went out to Natsu, who was groaning and sitting up from his collapsed position on the other side of the guild. Happy flew to him and wrapped his tail around his tiny waist. If Lucy read the label of this jar… she would know that he had his sights set on a special lady. That could cause problems for the clueless little dragon slayer. She glanced over her shoulder at Gajeel, who had his arms crossed over his chest as he eyed her with a cocked eyebrow. Light glinted off of the bolts in his nose. He narrowed his red eyes at her when hers made contact with them.

She looked back to Lucy, "Uh, actually. I've got this covered, Lucy. I was on my way to the library anyway and I faintly recall reading a book about magic cream so I'll just go find it and figure it out. Uhm… in the meantime…"

Happy flew over with Natsu in his grasp. They landed in the middle of the circle, Natsu favoring his swollen, red left cheek where Lucy's foot had made contact. He tugged at the waistband of his giant pants.

Another idea struck Levy, "In the meantime, you should probably take Natsu to get some clothes that'll actually fit. I think my research might take a little while since I can't quite remember which book I read it in…"

"Oh," Lucy straightened, glancing at the sulking little boy behind her. "Okay. I could do that," she smiled back at her friend, having no reason to not belief her quick lie. She looked to the brooding iron dragon slayer beyond Levy's shoulder. Lucy hadn't missed the look Levy had thrown his direction before. A slow smile crept across her lips, "Hey Gajeel! Maybe you should help Levy out. That library is huge, you know?"

"Not interested," his gravelly voice barked and he looked away.

"Oh…" Lucy tapped her chin. "That's a shame. Last time Levy went there by herself, she nearly fell right off of that really tall ladder…" She shrugged, "I guess Jet and Droy could go with her though. I'm sure they'll keep her safe."

"You bet we will!" Jet and Droy cheered.

Gajeel grabbed the jar from Levy's hand and turned, pushing through the crowd. "Magic cream, huh? Who reads boring books about this junk anyway?" he grumbled, leading the way towards the guild library.

Levy looked to her friend. Lucy winked. Levy smirked and returned the wink.

How funny. They were both trying to aide each other in the search for love. Levy chased after Gajeel, whispering, "Too bad Lucy doesn't realize it…"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So all you folks caught up with the manga... yup. I've been craving more tiny Natsu.<strong>

**I still don't really have anything to say. Hm. Except that I'm leaving to go to Salt Lake Fan-Xperience in two days! EEEEEEEEEEEE EXCITE! EXCITE! I hope I see a lot of Fairy Tail cosplayers! I'll be sure to have stories to tell you guys about it. I might not be able to update while I'm there though. Because I'm lame. Sorry. You'll have a three-four day dry spell from me.**

**Tracks!**

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><p><strong>"Simple Man" by Shinedown<strong>

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><p><strong>Suggested by swallowmysoul:<strong>

**"Lonely Day" by System of a Down**

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><p><strong>Suggested by Scruffles Pup:<strong>

**"Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down (For how the guild felt when Natsu and Lucy were kidnapped.)**

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><p><strong>Alright, until next time my little fairies.<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"Why'd we come here first?" Natsu jumped onto Lucy's couch. Happy immediately started hunting for food around the apartment.

"I have to get my money first," Lucy went to her desk. "Since I'm assuming you didn't think to grab any before running off to the guild looking like _that_." She searched the top of her desk but didn't find her purse. "Hmm… where is it?" she went through the drawers.

Happy somehow made it into Lucy's underwear drawer, calling, "Hey Lucy, got any food in here?"

"Get out of there!" Lucy shouted. "Jeez, can't I take you two _anywhere_?" She stomped off towards the bathroom, "Where the hell is my _purse_!"

As soon as she was gone, Happy turned to Natsu with a grin. "Hey Natsu, I think I found you some clothes to wear…"

Natsu matched his grin and ran over to the cat.

A few minutes later, Lucy came out of the bathroom, purse in hand, "Why was it in _there_?" She thought for a second and then said, "Oh yeah! I was buying some stuff while in the bath through lacrima shopping." She laughed sheepishly and then looked around the room, "Okay Natsu, I'm ready to go!"

Her jaw hit the floor.

"Lucy look!" Natsu danced around the room, sporting one of her miniskirts and a billowing tank top. The skirt was held into place by a belt tightened to the closest hole. "The first time any of your skirts ever reached knees!" He and Happy cackled.

The vein in Lucy's forehead raged and she took a deep breath. She smiled at Natsu, "That looks great on you, Natsu." She stomped over to him. "How about we show the rest of the world?" she grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the door.

"Hold up," he said. "You're gonna make me wear this outside?"

"That's right!"

"Noooooooo!" he dug his heels into the floor. "I don't wanna!"

"You should've thought of that before going through my things!" Lucy grabbed him around the waist and carried him under her arm as she left the apartment and locked the door behind her.

Natsu kicked and squirmed, "Wah! I don't wanna! Big Sis Lucy is _mean_!"

"Oh can it."

Happy followed them, covering his mouth with his paws to hold in his giggling.

"Happy, help me out!" Natsu craned his neck around Lucy's arm to where the cat was.

"Sorry Natsu," Happy shrugged. "You should really listen to your elders."

Outside, Lucy set Natsu down again and grabbed his hand before he could run off. "C'mon," she said. "You made your bed. Now lie in it."

Natsu pouted as they walked down the street. Maybe he would've fought a little harder if he wasn't secretly a little happy about being seen holding Lucy's hand in public. Even if the people that saw them only saw a strange little boy with pink hair dressed in a skirt and tank top with a bulky scarf wrapped loosely around his neck holding hands with a beautiful, voluptuous blonde while a blue cat flew overhead… well… that was alright. Because his hand was practically aflame inside hers.

Natsu never realized how pleasant warmth was. As a fire dragon slayer, he was _always _warm. It was just natural to him. But after he realized his love for Lucy, everything felt a little… _chilly _without her. He glanced up at her as they walked along the canal. Love was so _weird_. It was both painful and pleasurable. When he wasn't with Lucy, he wished he was. When he was with her, he wished he could hold her. He was basically in a constant state of wanting more. It was sometimes _unbearable_.

Lucy noticed his stare and looked down at him. Her eyes softened and her mouth stretched wide in a smile as she giggled, "You look so silly like that!"

Natsu's chest tightened and he returned her smile, warmth spreading over his face. Yeah, it was unbearable. But it was worth it for moments like this. Happy flew down closer to say,

"Don't you think Natsu would make a pretty _girl_, Lucy?"

They shared a laugh as Natsu's smile faded.

"He would, Happy!" Lucy reached over with her free hand and ruffled Natsu's hair, "Especially with that rosy hair of his!"

Natsu stomped his feet, "Shut up! When I get back to normal, I'm gonna set both your asses on fire!"

"Uh oh," Happy covered his mouth, "We made her mad!"

He and Lucy cackled at the poor little dragon slayer's expense.

* * *

><p>"So Levy, how's it going?" Erza entered the library an hour after the solid script mage. "Is your search turning up anything?"<p>

Gajeel roused from his slumber from where he sat, leaning up against the bookshelves. He cracked a single red eye and glared up at the fiery redhead standing next to the little blunette sitting at a table, surrounded by books. He grunted and promptly went back to sleep.

"Well," Levy looked up at Erza, pulling her glasses off of her face. "Here's the thing. I lied before. I haven't read a book on magic creams before."

Erza blinked at her, "You haven't?"

She shook her head and closed the tome she was scouring.

"So then you are hunting for a cure now?"

She shook her head, "This is a book about early magical flying devices, actually."

Erza was lost, "So…"

"Oh!" Levy waved her hand. "The reason I'm not looking for a cure… is because I already know what has to be done."

"You do? Very good. Then what is it?"

"Nothing."

Erza pulled out a chair and sat, "Nothing."

"That's right," Levy smiled. "The only way to bypass a spell cast by a magic cream is to wait for the effects to wear off."

"Why is that? I know I'm not well versed in the art of spells and curses… but isn't there usually _always _at least one way to reverse a magic?"

"Well…" Levy leaned on her arms on the table. "That's the thing. Magic cream of this kind is illegal for the pure reason that there is no way to reverse it. Once it has melded into the skin, it seeps down into the blood stream and is transported throughout the entire body. It can even linger in the body's organs, slowing the rate of reversal. I suppose immediately after application, the person could scrub it all off and the effect would only last a few days or even just a few hours…" she tapped her chin, "But at this point for Natsu, I don't think scrubbing will do any good."

"So Natsu will just have to wait until the cream's effectiveness wears off?"

"That's right."

"And how long might that take?"

Levy scratched the back of her head, "Honestly, I don't have any idea since I don't know anything about the cream itself. If I knew the ingredients, I could tell you. But judging by the residue left in the jar," she indicated the pink substance sticking to the bottom of the jar. "It seems like it's pretty potent. Which means it could take anywhere between one to four months to completely wear off."

Erza sighed, "Natsu won't be happy to hear about this."

Levy shared her sigh, "That's for sure. One good thing about it is that it will wear off gradually. Meaning Natsu's body will age to match the amount of cream that remains in his bloodstream."

"He will age?"

"Yeah," Levy nodded. "So... he looks about... five or six, right now, right? Well, suppose the cream is meant to last around four months. Then by the end of the first month, his body should be around eight or nine. Then by the second month he'll be roughly twelve."

"I see."

The blunette sighed, "But I don't think that'll do anything to calm Natsu down."

"Hm…" Erza rubbed her chin.

Levy looked at her curiously, "What is it?"

"I was just wondering," she mumbled, "if there's any way we can use this to our advantage?"

"Advantage? What do you mean?"

"It's obvious that Natsu's love for Lucy has crossed over into the desperate stage. Since he was even willing to resort to such an underhanded tactic to try to steal her heart," she reached over and lifted the jar. "There has to be a way that we can use this situation to help him out."

Levy contemplated.

"Ugh," Gajeel's gravelly voice sounded and the hulking dragon slayer climbed to his feet. He stretched his shoulder. "You two sure can gab, can't you?" He cracked his neck and walked over to them. "As for this Salamander dilemma ya got here. Isn't it obvious?"

"What?" Erza leaned forward, "You have an idea?"

Gajeel pointed at her, "Think about it. Your love for a person is most obvious when you have to lay your life down on the line for them. When you see them in danger and jump to sacrifice yourself without a moment's hesitation... that's when it hits ya. Now… I don't know what exactly went down in those two months they were missing…"

"Now that you mention it," Erza rubbed her chin. "Neither do I…"

"Loke was kind of vague on the details," Levy murmured.

"But I'm guessin' that Lucy ain't ever had to place herself between the Salamander and the blade of a sword. 'Cause that pink haired idiot's pride would never let her. Ya dig?"

"Hm, yes. I think I do, in fact, dig," Erza nodded.

"So it's simple," Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest. "Now that the idiot is in that weak little body, he ain't got two legs to stand on in a real fight. That girl would have no _choice _but to protect his ass. Then, she'll realize just how far she's willing to go to save him, which leads to her realizin' she's actually in love with him. Then, once that's done, all you gotta worry about is gettin' those idiots to confess their mutual feelings for each other."

"Wow…" Levy stared up at him. "I… didn't realize you thought about these sorts of things, Gajeel."

He ignored her and grunted, staring across the library.

"Perfect," Erza stood. "I will quickly go and attack Natsu now."

"Hold up!" Levy grabbed her arm and held her in place. "That won't do! Lucy knows you'd never actually hurt Natsu!"

"Sure I would."

"But she knows you'd never intend to kill him," she argued. "It won't be genuine unless Lucy truly believes Natsu's life is in danger! _That_ is the moment of truth!" She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Okay, listen up. This is what we're going to do…"

* * *

><p>"How do I look?" Natsu plopped his fists on his hips.<p>

Lucy examined his new outfit. It looked surprisingly sharp for clothing made for children. He wore a dark blue, sleeveless jacket with simple gold epaulettes on the shoulders and large brassy buttons down the middle. The bottom flared out like his usual jacket did. Pairing the jacket, he wore white short pants that stopped mid-calf and looked fairly similar to his tied off capris. He even found the right size of sandals of the same style as his usual.

"You look great!" Lucy smiled encouragingly, holding the skirt and tank top he had been wearing earlier. "It definitely suits you!"

"Alright!" Natsu patted his left bicep. "I'm all fired up now!"

"Shall we go back to the guild and show everyone else?" Lucy asked as she paid the shopkeeper.

"Thank you for your service!" the old lady clasped her hands together and bowed her head.

"Maybe Levy's figured out what we gotta do to reverse the spell," Happy said.

"Yeah!" Natsu threw his fist in the air. "Let's go!" he ran up to Lucy and took her hand without a second thought, "C'mon Lucy!"

He tugged her towards the door excitedly.

Lucy blinked in surprise, staring down at their clasped hands. Even though Natsu's hand was about half the size it normally was, it still retained the same amount of heat. She blushed.

Happy flew after them, giggling, "They _liiiiiiiiiiiike _each other!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Well guys, tomorrow is the big day! I head off for Salt Lake City Fan Xperience! I'm so excited! We're actually not leaving until around 4 pm because The Man of the House's friend, Redbeard, has to work til then and we are carpooling with him, Picole, and Breuf. Blarg. Oh well. It's fine. I guess I'll be driving in the dark then. Which is fine.<strong>

**By the way, OMG, as I was drifting off to sleep the other night I thought of a GREAT scene to write later on in this story. I'm pretty excited about it. I hope you guys are excited too. No one dies. I swear. I sorta swear. Okay, only three people die. Just kidding. Four people do. Haha I'm pulling your leg. Just Erza. What? Just playin'. Natsu and Lucy go out Romeo and Juliet style. "Hohohohoho! Did I mention that I'm an incurable prankster?" CAN ANYONE NAME WHERE THAT LINE IS FROM?! ANYBODY? ANYBODY? COME ON! I'LL BLESS YOUR HEART WITH JOY AND WONDER IF YOU CAN GUESS IT CORRECTLY!**

**Anyway, I'm going to try to write my cold little rock heart out tonight and have a nice chunk to update for you tomorrow before I leave. Then I probably won't be back online until Sunday. Unless I get a lot of downtime in the hotel room and decide to type something up. But that's not likely since we are bringing both alcohol and the wii-U with us... But anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter and continue to like the upcoming chapters! **

**I wanna thank you all so freakin' much for all of your support and follows and faves and reviews! You make this so much fun! I also wanna throw out a special thanks to reader for being the 200th follower of Her Strength! WOW! Can you guys believe we made it to 200th followers?! I never dreamed I'd get this kind of reception from this story! That makes me so happy! You're awesome! **

**Also, I don't know if you guys noticed, but I called Levy a "blunette" in this chapter. I just came across this word while reading this great fanfiction by a really talented writer and I stole it! (Okay kind of stole it) I thought it was so clever so I immediately wanted to use it to! Don't know if it is a commonly used word... or who came up with it in the first place... but I love it so much so I'm gonna use it regularly now. And as a thanks to that writer for drawing my attention to that fantastic word, I'm going to spam you guys and demand you go support her awesome story.**

**The author's name is KissJupiter and her story is called "Mindless" and it's so good, you guys! So go read it! And follow and review her because she's spectacular! I mean... you don't HAVE to. But I definitely suggest it if you are in the market for a new story to read. I've definitely been super into it since I started reading it. Unfortunately it's only twelve chapters at the moment. WAH. But it's ongoing, so YAY! But she just started it on Dec. 31st and is already up to 12 chapters so that leads me to believe that she's a fairly quick updater. ONE OF US. Anyway.**

**Okay, now just because I am promoting this person on my story doesn't mean I'm all gung ho to support just anybody's story. Please don't ask me to. I will read anything you ask me to read and give you constructive criticism and helpful words through either PM or review, but I'm not in to the whole advertising thing. Like I said, I'm promoting KissJupiter's story because I stole 'blunette' from her. If I read somebody's story and see something I want to snatch away, I'll give credit and then promote them too. But I won't read one of your stories and then flaunt it around just because you ask me. Sorry, but that's just how I work. Also, if you ask me to read your story and then give you constructive criticism, then I'm going to give you that. I will not butter my words up and rant and rave about how flawless it is if I honestly see things that you can improve on. I wouldn't want you to be too soft on me, so I won't be too soft on you. That doesn't mean I'm super mean and judgmental though. I like to think that I'm really kind and encouraging when giving advice, so if you do want me to read something you wrote, please don't be scared that I'll be like, "YOU SUCK. KILL YOURSELF!" Because I would NEVER EVER EVER IN A MILLION BILLION CENTURIES EVER DO THAT. That's just awful. And because you guys are very important to me and I love when anybody has an interest in writing and sharing their stories with others, I will be your biggest fan til the day you die. Promise. (But please, if you want me to read a story of yours that isn't Fairy Tail related, please check with me to see if I am familiar with what you're writing about! I wouldn't be able to give effective advice if I'm completely lost with the story line.)**

**Anyway, that's enough of that. :) I love you all forever and always and thank you again a million times over for all of your support! Remember that you can always message me for any reason! I'll always reply!**

**Love-Moo**


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

"We made it back alive!" Natsu called as they walked through the entrance to the guild hall.

"You only went to buy clothes," Gray pointed out.

"Yeah and we should've taken you with us, you crazy stripper!" Natsu shook his fist at him.

Gray looked down at his naked body, "Oh, damn it. Where the hell did my underwear go?"

Lucy sighed, "Jeez, Gray. Do we need to put a padlock on your belt?"

Natsu glanced up at Lucy, noticing that she was looking at Gray unconcernedly. Heat soared up his neck. And not the good kind.

"GRAY YOU DUMBASS!" Natsu roared, bending his knees and abruptly catching fire. "_PUT SOME CLOTHES ON NOW OR FIGHT ME_!"

Gray stood, indifferent to his nakedness, "No offense, Natsu, but in your current state, you'd have absolutely no shot at beating me."

"_WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?_"

Gray sighed, "I was trying to put it nicely… but I guess you're just too dumb to get it." He glared at the burning boy. "You're too weak to take me on, jackass."

"_I'LL PUT YOU IN THE GROUND, ICE MAKE STRIPPER_!"

"Natsu," Lucy walked up to him and crossed her arms over her chest. "We're not here to pick fights. Let's just find Levy and get you turned back to normal, okay? Then you can fight Gray all you want."

Gray walked up and dropped an arm around Lucy's shoulders, smirking knowingly down at the little boy. "Yeah Natsu. Let it go, man."

Natsu's flames only burned brighter, "_RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH_!"

Lucy shrugged Gray's arm off of her, "C'mon Gray! Don't get so close when you're naked!"

Gray wasn't done teasing the young dragon slayer yet. "Lucy," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders once more. "Now that Natsu's a little kid. He won't be all that fun anymore," he led her across the guild hall. "But don't worry. I'll take his place in the meantime, okay?"

Natsu's fury blinded him.

"Uhm," Lucy cocked an eyebrow. "I don't really know what you're talking about… but okay. Do you know where Levy is?"

"I think she and Erza are upstairs talking to Master," Gray said. "I'll walk with you up there. Erza said earlier that she wanted to talk to me anyway."

"Uhm. 'Kay." Lucy glanced over her shoulder, "Natsu! You comin'?"

Momentarily distracted from trying to burn a hole in the floor, Natsu's flames snuffed out. He blinked. Lucy was being taken away by that pervert Gray!

"Not on my watch!" Natsu rushed after him as they started up the stairs. "Gray! Take your gross naked arm off of her!"

"Yeah, yeah, maybe later," Gray waved his free arm behind him and the stairs were suddenly coated with ice below them.

Natsu managed to jump up three steps before slipping and crashing right back down to the first floor.

Lucy watched him as he screamed and blew pitiful fire at the ice. She glanced back to Gray, who was chuckling evilly at her side. "So… is there a reason you are picking on him so much today?"

"Not really," he answered.

"Hm… alright then." Lucy looked forward once more as they crested the top stairs and walked onto the second floor. She glanced around. She remembered back when Master forbade anyone that wasn't an S Class mage to come to the upstairs. After the situation on Tenrou Island however, he became much more relaxed about it. Classes seemed frivolous when the world was as strange as it was these days. Although, whenever Natsu tried to take an S Class job, Master smashed him with his giant's fist and sent him flying back to the first floor.

Erza, Levy, and Makarov were sitting at a table in the center of the second floor. Upon seeing Gray and Lucy, Erza stood and walked over to them.

"Gray, can I talk to you?"

Gray removed his arm from around Lucy's shoulders. "Sure thing."

"Lucy," Erza nodded towards Levy and Makarov. "Levy has news for you and Natsu when he gets up here."

"Alright," Lucy walked over to the table the solid script mage and the master of the guild sat at. She sat in the chair Erza vacated just as Natsu made it up the stairs.

"Gray!" he roared. "COME OVER HERE AND ANSWER FOR YOUR CRIMES!"

Before he could chase after the ice mage, Lucy called, "Natsu! Over here!"

He hesitated, glancing between Lucy and Gray, who leaned against the balcony railing next to Erza, smirking at the little boy. Finally he let out an exasperated sigh and ran to Lucy's side. He climbed up onto the chair next to her and leaned his skinny arms on the table.

"Alright," he said, turning his golden eyes on Levy. "So how do we fix me?"

"Well…" she cleared her throat, avoiding his stare. "Here's the thing. I know how to fix you… but it's going to be kind of difficult."

"I'll do anything!" he announced, slamming his fists down. "I just don't want to be tiny and weak anymore!"

Lucy giggled and reached over. She ran her fingers through his pink hair affectionately, "Oh, but you're so cute like this!"

Natsu's cheeks flamed and he twiddled his fingers, calming considerably.

"Anyway," Levy continued. "In order to turn you back, I need to mix up a new cream to nullify the one you already have travelling through your bloodstream."

"Alright!" Natsu stood on his chair, "then let's do it!"

"Well see, the problem is that the ingredients that I need are really rare and can't be found in just your average herb shop."

"What do you mean, rare?" he sat down once more.

"I wrote up a map of where each ingredient can be found," Levy slid a roughly drawn map across the table to Lucy. She ran her eyes over the course that was plotted out in red ink.

"They're spread out all over Fiore!" Lucy exclaimed, looking up at her friend.

"Not just that," Makarov grunted. "The locations are incredibly dangerous."

"That's why they're so hard to find in stores," Levy said. "Most people don't want to risk their lives hunting them down."

Lucy rubbed her chin. "So there are four ingredients? So we can send four teams out to collect them and then meet back at the guild. I bet we can get them all in just a week's time!"

Levy and Makarov exchanged a glance, "Actually, Lu-chan…" Levy turned back to her friend. "That's the thing. In order for this to work, Natsu has to be the only one to touch the ingredients. If anyone else touches them, when mixed together to make the cream, it won't have any effect on him."

"EHH?" Natsu and Lucy exclaimed.

"But, but," Natsu pulled at his hair, "It'll take _forever_ to collect all of them by myself!"

"You won't be by yourself," Lucy said. "I'll go with you. And we can take Erza, Gray, and Wendy."

"Actually," Erza and Gray approached the table. The scarlet haired mage crossed her arms over her chest, "Gray, Wendy, Carla, and I have an important mission to go on. We won't be able to come with you."

"What?" Lucy's brows furrowed, "Can't it wait until after we get Natsu back to normal?"

"Afraid not," Erza shook her head. "Master Makarov gave it to us personally. It is of the utmost importance."

"More important than _me_?" Natsu climbed to his feet on the chair again. "If I get back to normal, then I can go on the mission with you!"

"Sorry, Natsu."

His face fell and he stared at the table, "It'll take a _month_ to get all of those ingredients…" _Not to mention it will be really dangerous…_ he glanced over at Lucy. She was watching him with concern in her brown eyes. _And in my current state, I won't be able to properly protect her._ He looked to Makarov, "Gramps, there's gotta be somebody we can take with us. Laxus or Gajeel or Juvia or… _anybody_."

Hurt spread through Lucy's chest and she looked away. _He doesn't trust my strength._ Tears filled her eyes but she blinked them away.

Makarov stared at the little boy. "Hmmm," he glanced at Lucy and then back to the miniature dragon slayer. "A large team will only slow you down. I would suggest you go alone, but since I don't believe you to be strong enough to protect yourself, I order Lucy to go along with you."

"But Gramps—"

"I have faith that she will keep you safe." His eyes glittered as he stared at him. "Do you?"

Natsu gulped and looked away, "Yeah. I guess so."

Lucy stood silently and then turned towards the stairs before anyone could see her tears, "I guess I'll go pack then." Her voice was soft, but the hurt in her words was evident.

Natsu watched her walk away until she disappeared down the stairs. He held his head in his hands for a few moments, cursing softly. He then slid off of the chair and trotted off to the first floor after the celestial mage.

Levy and Erza shared a sigh.

"Well," Levy murmured, "so far this isn't really going as well as I thought it would."

"He'll pull through in the end," Gray said, arms crossed over his bare chest. "If there's one thing that idiot is good at, it's cheering Lucy up."

Makarov grunted his agreement.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay, so I know I said I'd write a whole bunch for you guys, but this is all I managed to get. Sorry. I blame Breuf and Picole for showing up last night. Totally unrelated to their arrival, the counter is sticky from Jagermeister and we're out of cereal. We also had the great idea to cook two and a half pound of speghetti noodles to share between four of us, which in hindsight... might be a bit of overkill.<strong>

**Anyway, I want to congratulate the readers LittlePrincessNana, noodles18, 247FairyTail, and 13Pie for correctly guessing the show that "incurable prankster" line was from! That's right! It was Avatar: the Last Airbender! More specifically, the third season, episode 17: The Ember Island Players. One of my favorites by far! "THE SCAR IS _NOT _ON THE WRONG SIDE!" And I'm also really thrilled that you guys are also Avatar fanatics! Weeee! We are like one big happy family. Oh yeah. So I will bestow your hearts with joy and wonder now. *heavy concentration* MMMMMMMMMM BAPOW! Okay. Done. You have been blessed with my positive thinking. Congratulations!**

**As a parting gift, I will share a little quote by my friend Picole from last night upon pouring herself a bowl of cereal...**

***opens fridge***

**"Do you have milk? Oh! So many milk to choose from! More milk than imagined..."**

**And that's all for today! I will see you all on Sunday! Love you! Will miss you much!**

**Love-Moo**


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

"Hey Lucy?"

"Yeah, Happy?"

"Are you mad at Natsu?"

"Of course not."

"Oh… are you sure?"

"Why would I be?"

"Well it's just… the first ingredient on the list is less than half a day away by foot. But you still insisted we take a carriage." Happy glanced over at the moaning, blubbering child on the floor of the wagon. Natsu's face was an unhealthy shade of green and his eyes were practically swirling around in his head.

Lucy looked over at the pitiful dragon slayer and sighed. "Okay," she murmured. "I'm a little peeved at him."

"Why?" Happy crawled into her lap and stared up at her.

She wrapped her arms around him, "Back at the guild… he was _so _against us going by ourselves. He doesn't think I can keep us safe. He doubts my strength."

Happy contemplated for a moment, "I dunno Lucy… that doesn't sound like Natsu at all."

She glanced down at him.

"If there's one person that believes in you, it's Natsu," he went on. "I've never heard him question your abilities. Not even once. When Master picked you to be on the team during the Grand Magic Games, Natsu was excited. The thought that the team would lose never crossed his mind."

"But—"

"He's basically your number one fan," Happy nodded. "It's really hard to get him to shut up about you sometimes. He'll just _talk and talk and talk and talk _about _Lucy did this_ and _Lucy did that_ and _it was so cool_ and _I wish I could do that_." He shook his head slowly. "It's kind of annoying sometimes."

She ducked her head and muttered, "Then why was he so adamant about us not going alone?"

"That's obvious," Happy shrugged. "He's scared to be alone with you because he's in _looooooooooove_ with you!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Yeah right."

Happy smiled discreetly and then said, "Or maybe it's because he's not really as dumb as everyone thinks and actually realizes that there are things and people out there that are more powerful than he is, and he's scared that we will run in to one of those people or things and he won't be able to do anything but watch as you are killed?"

Lucy's heart ached. To watch her friend die… it was a fear she shared with the now unconscious dragon slayer. It was a fear she was sure every single member of Fairy Tail shared with them. She gulped. She would rather travel to that other realm herself than see Natsu die. She would do anything, _anything_ to keep him safe and sound.

"I'll protect him," she whispered. "He'll see."

Happy yawned and leaned back against her, "Doubt it. Natsu's always been pretty blind to reason."

* * *

><p>"So. We finally found you," the dark voice rumbled over the cold stone floors of the cell. The man, beaten, bloodied, and chained to the wall rolled his head up, peering through his one working eye. He searched for the voice and caught the black shape on the other side of the bars of his cell. A small orange light burned on the end of the cigarette tucked into the mouth of the figure.<p>

He coughed, thick blood trickling down his chin. "Nah," he said. "I willingly threw myself in this cell so you could beat me for hours on end."

The voice in the darkness chuckled and then the shadow leaned closer to the bars. He inhaled on his cigarette and the end glowed brighter, momentarily lighting up his harsh, gaunt features.

"It's nice to have you back, Kieran."

Kieran growled and yanked on his chains, "What the fuck do you want with me, Solomon?"

The man straightened, "Getting right to the point, are we?"

"I did what you said!" Kieran shouted, gaining a sudden spurt of strength, jerking wildly against his binds. "I left the guild! I took Riata and I fucking _left_! I didn't tell anyone about or interfere with any of your plans! _WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT WITH ME NOW?_"

"Cut the shit," Solomon snapped, pulling the cigarette from his mouth and tossing it to the floor. He ground it out with his boot. "I know you met up with him."

Kieran swallowed a mouthful of his own blood and then growled, "So what? Two guild outcasts aren't allowed to join together?"

"I know he's dead."

He snorted, "Yeah? And what do you care? You kicked him out, just like me."

"Naturally I would care," Solomon said calmly. "How about you tell me about it?"

"I wasn't there."

"Don't lie to me. I know you were there. Along with those two others."

Kieran gulped. "I don't know who you're talking ab—"

"DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME!" Solomon suddenly screamed, grabbed two bars of the cell and pulling his body tight against them. His form ignited with a sickly green glow and he leaned his head in between the bars, green eyes shining, long silver hair pooling over his shoulders to hang like cobwebs on either side of his sneering face. "Now. Quit wasting my time and tell me the name of the bitch that killed my beloved brother."

* * *

><p>"Okay," Lucy folded up the map and stuck it in her backpack. She turned to Natsu, who was dipping his hands in a nearby stream and then splashing his face with the cool water. "The first ingredient is octoroot. It can be found along the edges of the southern beaches."<p>

"That doesn't sound so dangerous," Happy observed, stretching his arms over his head.

Natsu stood and let out a great sigh of satisfaction. He turned to Lucy and Happy and said, "It should be easy as strawberry cake! Let's go get it!"

"Wait, Natsu," Lucy grabbed his thin bicep before he could run off down the path through the trees. "Remember what Levy said? These ingredients are dangerous to collect. So we need to be quiet and careful. Stay on your toes and try not to draw attention to yourself. Who knows what kind of monsters are out there waiting for an easy meal."

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu waved his hand and slipped out of her grasp. "Don't worry, Lucy. I'll protect you."

She frowned as he and Happy took off down the path. Why did she have the overwhelming feeling that something was about to go horribly, horrendously, _horrifically_ wrong?

* * *

><p>Lucy caught Natsu by the armpits when his feet tangled in the sand and he almost pitched to the ground. She hoisted him back up, never slowing her run, setting him back on his feet and nudging him forward.<p>

"_KEEP RUNNING_!" her shriek was followed by a bellowing roar behind them. Lucy risked a glance over her shoulder.

Yep. The giant, orange octopus with five spiky red horns protruding from its head and a mouth that opened wide to reveal rows and rows of razor sharp teeth was still chasing.

Surprise, surprise.

Lucy turned forward again, streams of tears bursting out of the corners of her eyes as she screeched and picked up the speed, pumping her arms and legs harder.

"_STUPID NATSU_!" She sobbed. "_WHY DID YOU HAVE TO PISS HIM OFF?_"

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO!" he shouted back, shoving the octopus shaped root he had managed to collect before the monster gave chase into his backpack quickly. "HE STARTLED ME!"

"DO YOU TRY TO SET EVERYTHING THAT STARTLES YOU ON FIRE? I TOLD YOU NOT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF! REMEMBER THAT?"

The octopus let out another earthland shaking roar and all three Fairy Tail mages covered their ears. When it's scream was done, Happy flew down to Lucy, "Lucy! Should I grab you and fly out of here?"

"OF COURSE NOT, STUPID! THEN WHAT ABOUT NATSU?" She gestured at the little boy.

"Oh yeah," Happy flew over to him. "So should I take him away?"

Lucy was about to scream her denial of that idea and demand he figure out a way they _both _could escape, but then she remembered she was a strong, independent Fairy Tail mage and didn't need no escape route.

"Yes! Take him out of here! I'll take care of this bozo!" She popped open her leather pouch as Happy grabbed on to the back of Natsu's jacket.

"HOLD UP!" Natsu struggled, shooting little balls of flame out of his hands. "NO! LET ME STAY! I GOTTA PROTECT LUCY!"

"Sorry Natsu," Happy said and lifted him up. "But you should really listen to your elders."

"NOOOOOO!" Natsu fought as the cat flew him up and over Lucy's head, carrying him towards the trees on the side of the beach. "LUCY!"

"I'LL BE FINE!" Lucy grabbed a key and suddenly dug her heels into the sand, skidding to a stop. She whirled towards the octopus gaining ground on her. Holy shit it was huge.

"Taurus!" she waved the key in her hand. "Help me out a bit!"

The cow man appeared in front of his celestial spirit mage, brandishing his giant axe.

"Mooooo! Leave it to me, Lucy!" He didn't hesitate before leaping at the octopus, swinging his weapon over his head. "Mooo! You are _udderly _disgusting!"

The octopus bellowed and swung a tentacle down to match Taurus's axe. Unfortunately for the beast, the blade of the axe was sharper than its skin was tough. Taurus hacked off the end of the tentacle and it flew off into the ocean.

"Great work Taurus!" Lucy cheered. "Keep it up! I'll call Capricorn to help!"

Taurus hacked away at the swinging tentacles as Lucy called the second spirit for back-up.

"Capricorn!" Lucy said when the giant goat man appeared. "Send this monster back where it came from!"

"Right away, Lucy-sama," Capricorn bowed and ran to join Taurus.

Lucy had always thought the two animal-esque spirits would make a great team. While completely different in personality, with Taurus being a perverted maniac and Capricorn a respectful servant type, their combat strength was strangely similar. They both relied on heavy hits and brute force.

She watched anxiously as Taurus continued to detach the swiping tentacles as Capricorn ran along the side of the monster closest to the trees. He leapt in the air when he was satisfied with his location and swiftly delivered three powerful kicks to the creature's head, bypassing its jabbing horns.

Weakened and confused, the octopus skittered towards the water once more. Taurus joined Capricorn and the two both jumped towards its head together. Taurus lobbed off a couple of horns and Capricorn pounded relentlessly into the gooey flesh of its boneless cranium. The force pushed it farther and farther until it was completely in the water. Both spirits delivered their final blows and the octopus let out a tremendous roar before turning and fleeing to the bottom of the ocean once more.

"Yes!" Lucy jumped into the air, pumping her fist. "We did it! Or…" she smiled at the spirits that joined her on the beach. "_You _did it," she corrected.

"We all did it," Capricorn said and bowed.

"Moo! Where would we be without you, Lucy?" Taurus grinned, hearts suddenly appearing in the spirit's eyes. "By the way! You are looking udderly _fine_ in that outfit!"

"Okay, okay," she rolled her eyes and waved their keys. "Thanks. Now bye."

They faded from view and Lucy turned triumphantly towards the trees. She did it! She took care of that monster without Natsu's help! _He's going to be so proud of me_! she jogged off in the direction Happy had flown, hope running rampant in her chest. Finally, Natsu was going to realize that she wasn't just some weak little girl. She could protect herself.

And more importantly, she could protect _him_.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Oh my God you guys, I missed you so much! I also missed writing. I'm a little out of practice, actually. I did a little bit of editing and the first few mistakes I found were really pathetic. Like, holy crap. Do I need to loosen up my fingers or something? But I'm back now! And I'm gonna fall back into the Fairy Tail groove and get this baby going. Woop woop!<strong>

**Ugh I missed you guys. There were several times when in Salt Lake that I almost popped open my laptop and started writing, but then someone would draw my attention and it'd never happen. I had so much fun at the convention though! I saw a lot of Fairy Tail cosplayers! Surprisingly, I didn't take any pictures of them... Hm. I took more pictures of Avatar: The Last Airbender cosplayers than anything. I also bought a lot of Fairy Tail merchandise, which is AWESOME. I wish I could share pictures with you guys. The Natsu scarf around my neck got recognized several times, so that was cool. I can't wait until the day I actually cosplay myself! I want to so bad! I want to dress up like female Natsu and make the MOTH (Man of the House acronym that Breuf came up with) dress up like a male Lucy. Lucien. Haha! He'll have to show a lot of leg. ;) **

**I bought an adorable Happy backpack and some Fairy Tail themed playing cards that I gushed over the entire time playing gin with the buds in the hotel room. I also bought a Natsu keychain and an awesome flag/poster thing of Natsu and Happy. What else... Oh, I bought quite a few posters. One of Natsu drawn more realistically which... I had my doubts about. It doesn't look entirely like him, ya know? Because Natsu is a hard character to draw realistically. His eyes are so huge and his mouth is so wide. It's hard to capture that mischievousness in a real face. But then, the more I stared at it, the more I wanted it anyway. Because it's mother fuckin' Natsu! Duh! I also bought one of Erza, looking like a damn sexy bitch, like she always does. Let's see... I also bought a poster of Death the Kid and Black Star from Soul Eater and one of Link from the Legend of Zelda(it looks super awesome!) and then another of Vash the Stampede from Trigun! Yay! HMMM... OH! I also got these absolutely ADORABLE little badges! I got chibi Natsu and Lucy, and then chibi Vash and Wolfwood, and then chibi Link. SO CUTE! EEEEE!**

**While I had a lot of fun, watched a lot of cool panels, saw some awesome cosplayers and all that good crap... I'm so glad to be home. I HATE Salt Lake City. I couldn't walk half a block without getting panhandled. The rate of homeless people there was ridiculous! And also I'm a cold hearted bitch that refuses to hand out money. OH MY GOD. And one night, I drank a little two much vodka in the hotel room and then we decided to go out and get some dinner... big mistake. We walked a few blocks to McDonalds and out in the parking lot was this PSYCHO crackhead lady just jabbering to herself like a crazy person. And as we were passing by, she started yelling at us, saying scary stuff like, "OH I BET YOU'RE JUST HAVING SO MUCH FUN, AREN'T YOU? I COULD RAPE ALL OF YOU AND SHIT ON YOUR CHESTS AND blah blah blah" I saw red after that. I'm an impulsive/antagonistic drunk, apparently, and I asked the MOTH, "Should I fight her?" to which he replied, "NO!" but I didn't really want to listen to him and kept insisting to let me fight her and he ended up having to drag me into the McDonalds, where Picole scolded me. And then a little later the MOTH scolded me too because I apparently shouted "WHERE IS SHE?!" when the MOTH said she was still out in the parking lot. I honestly didn't know I shouted. I thought I was speaking normally. Breuf drank almost as much as I did so he basically just looked around wide-eyed the entire time.**

**The next day at the con, Picole bought a tazer, a spiky brass knuckle looking thing, and a butterfly knife. **

**Anyway, so that's my crazy story for the day. I have a LOT of hilarious/awesome things to say about the whole weekend, but I figure you guys are a little tired of my rambling. You came here for fanfiction! Not dumb convention stories!**

**Okay. So I'll finish up my dumb life story with a little conversation that I had with Picole in the hotel later that drunk night.**

**Picole: "I'm going to buy a tazer and some other self defense stuff tomorrow. Then I can use them at home too. You should also buy some!"**

**Me: "I don't need that stuff. I'm a weapon all by myself."**

**MOTH: "Plus, you never leave the house so..."**

**Me: "Thanks for pointing out my lack of a social life."**

**Alright! Enough of that boring crap! I want to thank you guys so much for all of your support! Every time I read your reviews my heart gets all warm and fuzzy. I love you so much! Also, Picole really wants the two of us to start up a blog. Hmmm, what do you think about that? I think it'd be pretty fun. Then I could write up stupid stories about my life but also do fun things like talk about fanfiction/anime/cartoons/videogames/anything I can think of. After watching those panels, my goal in life is to be able to speak on one someday. If I made podcasts and videos with my friends and got popular enough I bet I totally could! But getting popular would be really hard. Even though my friends are absolutely HILARIOUS. And I mean... I laugh really hard at my own jokes... but I'm probably not that funny. So it'd be really hard. Especially since I've never done something like that before. Haha. It's probably impossible. Oh well. :) At least I have you guys. You make me feel enough like a celebrity. ;)**

**Tracks:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Bonfires" by Blue Foundation<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by mtopping1992:<strong>

**"Valleys" by Close Your Eyes**

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><p><strong>And that's it for today! Thanks for the music suggestion, mtopping1992! And thank you all for continuing to put up with my crap for FIFTY FUCKIN CHAPTERS. HOLY SHIT! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! FIFTY CHAPTERS! THAT'S THE SIZE OF A BOOK! Uh oh... now I don't have any excuse as to why I haven't written a new novel of my own. Uhm... I've been busy writing this? ;P Is that a good excuse? Yes? Oh good.<strong>

**Anyway, I LOVE YOU TO DEATH! YOU ARE MY FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. (right after myself because I'm awesome) If you ever want to PM me, DO IT! I would love to hear from you guys! I will always answer! I send out my positive vibes to everybody that needs it! *sends out vibes* Alright. I'll shut up. Ugh. I just missed you guys so much. I just want to write forever. And ever. And ever. AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVERRRRRR.**

**But I'll stop now. Sorry for being annoying. Love you.**

**Kiss kiss. Hug hug.**

**Love-Moo**


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

"Lucy!" Natsu ran to the blonde as she finally caught up with the little mage and the blue cat. "Are you okay?" he grabbed her wrists as soon as he was close enough, turning her hands over and scrutinizing them worriedly.

She smiled, "I'm fine. I took care of that octopus." She pulled her wrists from his grip and gently ruffled his pink hair. "See? I'm stronger than you think. I got rid of him easy as strawberry cake!"

She passed by him, relief and triumph spreading through her chest. "Okay! Let's get going to the next ingredient! It's way to the east!" she pointed down the road.

Happy looked to Natsu. The little boy's head was cast, hands balled up into fists.

"Natsu?" he said softly. "Are you alright?"

"No," he said quietly. "I feel like I did back in that cage."

He turned and followed after Lucy.

"How?" Happy watched him go.

"_Useless._"

* * *

><p>"Uhm… Natsu?" Lucy said. "What are you doing?"<p>

Natsu darted around her, two balls of flame in the palms of his hands. "Don't worry Lucy. This time I'm gonna protect you before anything can even _think _about attacking!"

She chuckled, "Okay. Whatever you say." She pretended to be relaxed and confident, walking with quick, wide strides through the thick forest, but the truth was that she was terribly anxious. The past week travelling from the southern beach to the eastern forest had been calm and uneventful, but now that they were only half a day from their destination, Lucy had chills. She glanced around at the thick trees around them. The forest was dark and damp. Something touched Lucy's shoulder and she bit back a scream when she saw the probing legs of a giant spider. Another giant spider.

"N-Natsu…" she whispered.

He turned, saw the creature making its way up her shoulder, headed for her face.

"DIE!" he lobbed a fireball in her direction and it slammed into the insect, sending it flying backwards.

Lucy let out a sigh of relief. There was something about spiders…

"Thank you Natsu," she smiled at him. "You're my hero."

His cheeks flared pink and he turned forward again, "Well… it was only a dumb spider."

They continued on. After a while, Happy ran to Lucy, a look of fear across his face, paws reaching up to her. Lucy dipped and picked up the cat, holding his quivering body against her chest.

"I don't like the way this place feels, Lucy," he whimpered, tucking his face into her bosom.

"Me either," she murmured, eyes darting through the dark trees. She had the creeping sense that there was something out there, watching.

Waiting.

Natsu glanced back and saw Happy in Lucy's arms. Jealousy flared up quicker than he could take in a breath. He fell back to them and glared up at the cat.

"No fair!" he said. "How come Happy gets to get carried? I got little legs now! Carry me too, Lucy!"

"Natsu!" Lucy hissed. "Shh!"

He frowned, "Why?"

She looked around, "I feel… uneasy."

Happy's muffled voice came from Lucy's collar, "Something evil is watching us…"

Natsu looked up into Lucy's face. She was pale and sweat lined her brow.

"What are you talking about?" Natsu glanced through the trees. "I don't feel anything."

Lucy gulped and reached for her keys, "Maybe I should call Loke just in case…"

"No!" Natsu covered her leather pouch with his hands, "You don't need him! I can protect you by myself!"

"Natsu…" she tugged on his fingers. "This isn't about you. This is bigger than your pride!"

"Nothing is bigger than my pride!" he snapped. "Just let me be the one to protect you! I can do it!"

"Natsu, keep your voice down—"

"Why won't you let me protect you, Lucy?" he continued, voice rising with his frustration. "Do you not want me to? Would you rather that _Garric _guy were here to watch over you instead of stupid, childish me?"

"Natsu—"

"It's all I want to do!" Natsu squeezed his eyes shut and his hands into fists and shouted. "ALL I WANT TO DO IS PROTECT YOU! PLEASE LET ME!"

Suddenly, a loud crashing rang out behind them. Lucy slowly turned, eyes widening. Natsu did the same as Happy buried himself deeper in Lucy's arms.

Lucy gulped. The trees were moving.

"Natsu," she said just loud enough to be heard over the tremendous ruckus coming from whatever was uprooting the trees behind them. "Natsu we need to run now."

"Y-yeah…" he agreed.

As they were turning, Lucy caught sight of the cause of the destruction.

A green wyvern, just as big if not bigger than the octopus from last week, was making its way in their direction through the trees. Lucy saw its large, dragon-like head as its gaping mouth stretched wide and let out a ground shaking roar. Its dark green wings flared out and smashed into two tall trees, cracking them in half as if they were nothing but blades of grass.

"RUN!" Lucy shoved Natsu forward and they stumbled across the uneven forest floor.

"Lucy!" Natsu grabbed at her. "Get ahead of me!"

"No!" she pushed him. "Enough, Natsu!" Lucy looked down at Happy. "Happy! I need you to get Natsu out of here!"

"NO!" Natsu jerked away from her and then turned towards the rampaging wyvern. "I'll stop him myself!" he concentrated his magical energy and then inhaled deeply. His stomach engorged and he shouted, "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

The stream of fire that burst from his mouth wasn't enough to even reach the monster behind them.

"FUCK!"

"Happy! Now!" Lucy commanded.

"A-Aye Sir!" Happy's wings emerged and he swooped down to Natsu.

The cat hooked his claws into Natsu's jacket and lifted off.

"NO!" Natsu fought wildly. "I WON'T LEAVE LUCY! STOP!"

"NATSU, GO NOW!" Lucy demanded, unraveling her whip from her hip. "I CAN TAKE CARE OF THIS!"

Happy flew up higher and higher with Natsu, and Lucy breathed out a sigh of relief. They were going to escape. She turned back to the wyvern, which was closer than it was a few moments ago. She reached for her keys. Loke would be the wisest choice. Joined by someone that can battle at a distance… Sagittarius. She popped open the pouch and her fingers slid in.

The wyvern let out a screech and its left wing flashed out abruptly.

Lucy gasped and knelt close to the forest floor as the wind from its swing bombarded her, threatening to send her flying. If she wasn't so low to the ground, she was positive she would've been blown away.

Her heart turned to ice. She jerked her head up, "NATSU! HAPPY!"

But she realized too late. The force of the wind knocked the two Fairy Tail mages from the sky. Happy's claws ripped from Natsu's jacket and they were sent in opposite directions with cries of surprise. Natsu slammed into the forest floor fifty meters from Lucy as the blue exceed soared straight into a tree. His little body crumpled against the wood and then dropped to the ground in a battered bundle.

"_HAPPY_!" Lucy shrieked, taking large strides in his direction, but the wyvern had a similar plan. It's beady black eyes fell on the motionless cat and it instantly turned his direction, lumbering steps shaking the ground beneath them.

"Ooh…" Natsu rubbed his head and sat up from his spot in the bushes.

Lucy had to think fast. If she didn't do something, the wyvern was going to reach Happy before her and…

Lucy cracked her whip against the wyvern's hindquarters. She pulled back and then slashed at the monster's thick, scaly hide again and again until it grew furious and turned in her direction, all thought of the unconscious blue cat disappearing from its mind.

As soon as Lucy had its attention, she turned and ran through the trees, shouting, "NATSU! GRAB HAPPY AND GET OUT OF HERE! I'LL DISTRACT HIM!"

"NO!" Natsu sprinted in her direction.

"STOP!" she commanded. "NATSU STOP!"

But he ignored her. He ran straight up to the woman, igniting his hands, sending pitiful fireballs in the direction of the monster giving chase.

"Damn it Natsu!" Lucy growled when he caught up to her.

The wyvern let out a screech and then flashed its wings out again. Lucy didn't have the chance to duck down to avoid the massive gust of air. The wind picked up both of them and they flew through the air. Lucy sent her whip in Natsu's direction, catching him around the waist and pulling him to her. She wrapped her arms around him and then unraveled her whip. They were flying straight for a giant tree.

Lucy grunted and cracked her whip up. The celestial weapon latched on to a branch of a different tree and the two mages were saved from the same fate Happy had suffered.

"Shorten, shorten," Lucy whispered and the whip grappled them through the wind and up to the branch it was caught on.

The wyvern's gust of air passed and Lucy pushed Natsu up onto the thick branch, quickly scampering up after him. She knelt on the wood momentarily, catching her breath through wheezing gasps. The wind had sapped her lungs of all of her oxygen.

Natsu stood and faced the still oncoming wyvern. "Stay behind me, Lucy!"

"Natsu," she gasped and climbed to her feet. "Stop it. Get back. I need to call Loke," she reached for her pouch.

"No!" Natsu cried, catching on fire. "YOU DON'T NEED HIM! YOU HAVE ME! I CAN PROTECT YOU!"

"Not like this you can't!" Lucy grabbed the pouch and popped it open with shaking hands. "Just let me—"

Indifferent to their arguing, the wyvern rudely interrupted. Its tail flicked up and crashed down on the branch upon which they stood, shattering it immediately.

Lucy shrieked and Natsu let out a surprised shout as they were thrown back into the air. Weeping debris from the tree plunged with them down towards the ground once more. The pouch slipped from Lucy's hand and she cried out, "NO!" she reached for it, air rushing all around her as she fell. Her fingers brushed the leather and her eyes brightened hopefully. She was so close. She just needed a little more…

A spinning branch crashed into her outstretched hand, shattering nearly every bone beneath her skin. Lucy screamed in agony and pulled her arm close to her chest. Another branch slammed into her thigh, and then another struck her back.

Natsu struggled in midair, turning his eyes in the direction of the anguished scream he heard. Lucy was being battered by the debris from the wyvern's attack. He had to get to her! He had to protect her!

But he was powerless. His fire didn't have enough power behind it to push him closer in her direction. He was useless once again. And Lucy was the one suffering because of it. Tears filled his eyes, trailing behind him through the air.

"LUCY!" he roared. "LUCY!"

But it was no use.

He had failed.

Again.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: You know what my problem is? I get distracted too easily. I tried to write this chapter yesterday, but instead I started thinking, "Hey, when I finish this story, should I start a new one?" and then I started brainstorming a future story and then I was like, "Hey, I should write it RIGHT NOW!" and so writing this chapter was put on the back burner as I started cooking up ideas for a future Fairy Tail fanfic. Not that I got especially far on THAT... But anyway... I think I will do it. Maybe. So if you guys are dreading the end of this story, you are in luck. Because I may start a new one after this. It's gonna be completely different though. So... yeah.<strong>

**Anyway, here's the new chapter. Uhm... kinda left it on a cliff hanger, I know. But what ya gonna do? Picole decided that yes, we are going to create a blog. So I'll probably brainstorm ideas about that with her tonight. Yay! Although this whole blogging thing is soooo new to me. So I don't even know where to start. We don't even know what to call it. We did agree that we need some awesome art of a cow licking a pickle to represent us though. GET IT!? MOO AND PICOLE?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Maybe we will throw in a MOTH fluttering around there and then put a Redbeard on the cow and have them in Austria. Hm... and Breuf... Sorry. I got nothing. Maybe that's the brand in the cow? Eh. Dunno. He's got such a weird name...**

**Alright! So, moving on. I love you guys so much! Your support means so much to me! I'd also like to give a shout out to reader swallowmysoul for the awesome review they gave me a little while back. I may have been a little drunk when I read it, but that review brought happy tears to my eyes! So thank you so much for that! And everyone else too! Even if you just say something simple like, "Good story" or "please continue" I get so excited! I'm so grateful that you take the time out of your lives to show me love and that's what keeps me going! I wish I could personally give each and every one of you a big ol' bear hug! And that's really saying something because I'm one of THOSE people that hates to be touched. And if you also don't like to be touched, we could like... high five or do a synchronized dance or something. Or we could just like do excited jumping jacks facing each other shouting "YAY FRIENDSHIP!" and then probably both just pass out on the floor, panting, because exercise is hard and I eat too much cheetos. I love you guys so much that I'd let you hold Nashi. And I'm one of THOSE people that gets really possessive of my things. Now, remember, Nashi is a CAT. So she probably wouldn't agree to you holding her, especially since she still gives me the evil eye whenever I pick her up.**

**Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I love and appreciate you all soooooo much. And I want to support you as much as you support me. So here's a massive group air hug for all of you. *gropes the air awkwardly* *strokes your hair gently and whispers "what kind of shampoo do you use" into your ear* Remember that you can message me for any reason whatsoever! I'm always around and I'll always reply! You are all so great! I'm sending my positive vibes your direction! Hope you catch them! *sends positive vibes***

**Love-Moo**


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

"No, no, no, no, no!" Natsu flailed his arms and legs. His eyes were plastered on the celestial spirit mage plummeting to the ground at a much quicker rate than his small, light body.

"LUCY!" he roared, shooting fire from his hands and feet desperately, trying to fly in her direction. He had to get to her. If he could just reach her… he could… he could…

What?

What could he do? What could he _possibly_ do in this tiny, useless body of his? He could wrap his limbs around her and protect her head and… what? They'd both still die from the impact. They were too high up. He couldn't do _anything._

No. That wasn't true. He could tell her. He could go out with no regrets. He could tell her…

_I love you. I love you Lucy. Fuck I love you so much…_

A chunk of wood struck Lucy in the back of the head and blood trickled in the air above her.

"LUCY!"

Her brown eyes found his through the chaos. Slowly, she reached a hand in his direction, gaze turning soft and comforting. How the _fuck _did she do that? How did she touch his heart so easily?

"Lucy!" Natsu's vision blurred. "Lucy! I… I…"

"NATSU!"

Something hooked onto the back of Natsu's jacket and he was jerked upwards. He let out a cry of surprise. He glanced up and saw Carla, wings outspread, latched on to his back.

"Are you okay?" she asked in a worried voice.

"NO!" He jerked his head back. "FORGET ME! GET LUCY!"

Before the words were completely out of his mouth, he saw a flash of black dart through the trees and snatch the blonde from the sky.

"L—"

Gray planted his feet against the trunk of a nearby tree and pushed off to bound from trunk to trunk until he reached the ground, landing in a crouch, Lucy cradled in his arms. Natsu let out a deep sigh of relief.

"DIE, DESTOYER OF JUSTICE!"

Natsu jerked his head around and saw Erza in her Heaven's Wheel armor challenging the green wyvern with thirty of her gleaming swords floating in the air around her. All at once, the weapons darted in, Erza following close behind.

He looked away, trusting that Erza would be able to take care of the monster alone. He stared down at Gray and Lucy as Carla flew him in their direction. Gray reached up and cupped the side of Lucy's face, mouth moving as he spoke. Uncomfortable heat roiled in Natsu's stomach.

_Don't fucking touch her, Ice Prick_!

Carla set the little fire dragon slayer on the ground and he instantly ran towards them, shouting, "Lucy!"

Gray stood, still cradling Lucy against his chest. She held her left hand gently across her stomach, a wince of pain crossing her features when she moved.

"Lucy!"

"Natsu!" Gray glared down at the little boy. "What the _fuck _are you doing?"

He hesitated, momentarily thrown off by the furious tone of the ice mage's voice.

Before he could answer, Carla said, quite frantically, "I'm going to go help Wendy with Happy!" and she flew off.

Gray stomped after her and Natsu grabbed his arm, "Wait!"

"No!" Gray yanked away from him. "I have to get her to Wendy!"

"I—"

"You're such an _idiot, _Natsu!" he snapped, lifting his foot and pushing him away. "Why did you have to get in her way? Are you really _that _stupid?"

"Shut up!" Natsu's face reddened. "Shut UP!"

"Stop," Lucy coughed, blood trickling down her chin. "Gray, stop. It's not his fault."

Gray snorted, "Right on cue, Lucy's covering his useless ass."

"DON'T TALK BAD ABOUT LUCY!" Natsu's hands caught fire.

"I'm not talking bad about Lucy!" Gray headed through the trees. "I'm talking bad about _your _pathetic ass!"

"Gray."

"No! Lucy! Don't defend him! This is all his fault! You're like this because he can't shove his stupid pride down for five seconds and let you protect him for once!" He turned towards Natsu and fixed him with an icy stare. "Take a good look at her," he nodded down at Lucy as a stream of blood dripped down from the wound on top of her head and stained her right eyebrow. "Look at her and know that _you _are the cause of her pain."

Natsu's eyes widened and he swallowed the dry lump that formed in his throat.

"G-Gray…" Lucy's eyes lowered. "Don't say that…"

Gray watched the realization spread over Natsu's face. When he was satisfied that the young dragon slayer finally understood the weight of his mistake, he turned and carried Lucy away.

Natsu watched them go until they disappeared completely from view. His legs weakened and he dropped to his knees.

"It's…" tears dripped down his cheeks. "It's all my fault…" He leaned forward on the palms of his hands. His tears fell to the ground below him, wetting the dirt and the old pine needles. "God damn it… _GOD DAMN IT!_" He slammed his hands into the ground over and over again, screaming unintelligibly to the sky.

Erza had moved her battle further into the woods. The roars of the injured wyvern and Erza's shouts of combat trailing behind. Natsu slammed his fists down in the crackling pine needles beneath him and panted. His eyes caught sight of a shine of light in a pile of debris.

Lucy's keys.

Natsu crawled over to the key ring lying next to the leather pouch and picked up both. He ran his fingers over the warm metal of Loke's key, cursing gently.

_I should have let her call him._

Natsu pressed the key ring against his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut.

_I don't deserve to love her._

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><p>"Lucy!" Wendy jumped to her feet at the sight of the blonde in Gray's arms.<p>

Happy, leaning into Carla's lap, straightened, repeating her name.

Lucy gave him a smile, as if there wasn't blood smeared all over her face. "Happy," she said. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"What happened?" he asked with concern, climbing to his feet with Carla's help.

Gray knelt next to the sky dragon slayer and gently placed Lucy on the ground. Wendy didn't waste a second. She immediately held her hands over the celestial spirit mage and went to work healing her wounds.

"I just had a little tumble, that's all."

Happy ran to her, eyes wide and worried. "There's blood everywhere…" tears filled his eyes.

Lucy reached out with her good hand and tenderly stroked the side of his face. He hugged her hand. His mind instantly flew back to the Grand Magic Games. His breath hitched and he squeezed her hand frantically.

"NO! Lucy you can't die! You can't die again!"

"What are you saying? I'm fine, aren't I?"

He squeezed his eyes shut, "This is just like that time! Back then… when…" he choked on his words.

Realization crossed her face, "Oh… oh no, Happy. I'm fine. I promise. I've just got a few scratches, that's all. I swear."

He sniffed, "Y-you mean it?"

"Yes."

"You promise that you'll never die?"

Her eyes softened, "Yeah. I promise."

He nodded in relief, releasing her hand. He rubbed his nose on the back of his paw and glanced around, "Where's Natsu?"

"I gave him some things to reflect on," Gray muttered and looked away.

"Is he okay?"

"Doesn't have a fuckin' scratch on him."

Happy sighed, "Oh good…"

"Happy," Carla said sternly, "Lie down. You are in no condition to move just yet."

"Aye Sir," Happy plopped back down on his butt, groaning.

Lucy inhaled deeply as the pain fled her hand. She stared up at Wendy, "Why are you all here? I thought Master sent you on a mission?"

"Well," she cleared her throat. "He did. We just happened to be passing by. That's all."

Lucy cocked an eyebrow. "You just happened to be passing by?"

"Sure," Gray said. Our job is in this direction. We heard the commotion and came to investigate, knowing you guys were also supposed to be around here somewhere. And it's damn lucky we _did _show up. Or else all three of you would be wyvern food."

Lucy didn't want to think about that, "I'm sure Loke would've popped out eventually…"

Gray grunted, "He sure was taking his time, wasn't he?"

"Well… he does have the habit of swooping in at the last possible second…"

"Lucy! Are you alright?" Erza ran into their clearing, dressed in her usual armor and plaited blue skirt.

"I'm fine, Erza. Did you get rid of the wyvern?"

"He won't be bothering anybody anymore," Erza knelt on the other side of her, running her eyes over the blonde's sorry state. "I'm glad we made it in time."

"Yes. Thank you," Lucy sighed.

Gray _hmphed_ and crossed his arms over his chest, "Anyway, what's Natsu's _deal_?"

"What do you mean?"

He leaned against a tree and looked off into the forest, "He's being a grade A _asshole_ right now."

Lucy stared up at the thick, leafy cover high above their heads. "I'm sure he's just stressed out about this whole situation."

Erza and Wendy exchanged a guilty look.

_Lucy is going to be furious when she finds out we planned this whole thing_, Erza thought. _But Natsu is going to be even angrier when he realizes that this wild goose chase won't turn him back to his normal age…_

Wendy sighed dolefully. _This is what we get for taking advice about love from a guy like _Gajeel_._

"Don't be too angry at Natsu," Happy said. "He's not being a pain because he wants to." The cat looked down at the ground, "It's just that… being in such a weak body scares him. He said he feels the way he did when he was captured and being held in that cage."

Lucy's breath hitched.

"I don't know what happened there though," the cat continued, glancing up at Lucy. "But… it seems like it really scares him."

Lucy gulped and turned her eyes from everyone. "We never told you, did we?"

Erza glanced over her shoulder at Gray, who straightened and walked over to them.

Lucy sighed, "It's not like I want to keep it from you… but… it's just that…" she squeezed her eyes shut. "I…"

"Lucy, it's alright," Erza reached out and touched Lucy's shoulder. "You don't have to tell us. If it's too painful…"

"It's not that," she said softly. "I just don't feel like it's completely up to me whether or not you know…"

Wendy finished her healing and pulled her hands away, wiping at the sweat that lined her brow.

Lucy opened her eyes again, "While we were in that cage… Natsu was forced to watch as I was… I was… tortured. And… and he couldn't do _anything _about it. He was essentially useless." She reached up and draped her forearm over her eyes, "And it killed him. It broke him. And… and I couldn't do anything to make him feel better." She brushed at the tears that rose in her eyes. "It was hell. It was _absolute hell_."

No one spoke.

Lucy wiped at her tears, brushing away the blood that also coated her forehead. She sat up and Wendy offered her a handkerchief, which she used to wipe away the rest of the blood on her chin and throat. She shook her head and climbed to her feet.

"I can't have him feel that way again. I'm going to go talk to him."

No one argued as she dropped the handkerchief and headed back in the direction they had come.

When she was gone, Wendy collapsed onto her back, Gray rubbed his temples, and Erza hid her face in her hands.

"Why does everyone look so upset?" Happy asked, looking to Carla.

The white cat crossed her arms over her chest, "Oh, they're just realizing how _dumb _a certain plan they devised truly is."

Not fully understanding, Happy nodded slowly and dropped it.

* * *

><p>What the fuck was he supposed to do now?<p>

Natsu sniffed and wiped at his nose and eyes. He had made the decision that he didn't deserve to love her. So was he supposed to just give up then? That's it? The end?

Igneel taught him that loving someone meant putting them before you. So that meant giving up when you didn't deserve to love that person, right?

"No," Natsu whined. "I don't want to!"

But that was just him being selfish again, wasn't it?

He hung his head, fresh tears trickling down his cheeks.

Just what the fuck was he supposed to _do_?

"Natsu?"

He jerked around and stared across the small clearing he knelt in. Lucy stood staring at him just a few meters away. Her clothes were ripped and tattered. There were traces of blood in the fabric and along her arms. Her right eyebrow was still stained red although the rest of the blood had been cleaned from her face.

Still, even though he knew he had wronged her… even though he had decided that he didn't deserve to love her… his chest swelled at the mere sight of her. The pulse in his throat raged almost painfully. He longed with every fiber of his being to be connected to her for the rest of eternity. He knew that if his feelings weren't realized… he'd _never_ live a day of contentment. Not without her. Not without his Lucy.

So what the fuck was he supposed to do?

Lucy knelt down and opened up her arms. Natsu didn't have to think. He jumped up and ran to her, practically diving against her chest, throwing his arms around her neck. Streams of tears poured down his cheeks and he openly bawled into her throat.

Lucy held him close, gently stroking the back of his head. A small smile formed on her lips. Her heart had ached furiously the moment she had seen him, cheeks ruddy, eyes bloodshot and puffy from his obvious crying. Her desire to protect him was stronger than it had ever been. And it wasn't because of the body he was in, so frail and tiny. It was more than that.

He was her most cherished person. Natsu, who had been by her side from the very beginning… Natsu, who had supported her through everything… Natsu, who would give anything, even his own life, away for her… Natsu…

There was nothing more special to her than the irritating dragon slayer.

It had to be love. She knew that. She wasn't so dense that she couldn't see her own feelings. She was in love with the pink haired hooligan and there was nothing she could do to change that fact. Not that she wanted to. She loved being in love with him. And even if it never became anything… even if he was oblivious for the rest of eternity, she wouldn't trade her feelings for anything in the world.

God she loved him so much.

But what the fuck was she supposed to do about it?

"I-I'm _sorry_, Lucy!" Natsu sobbed, squeezing her tighter.

Lucy smiled and hugged him fiercely.

"_I'M SO SORRY!"_ he cried.

"Shhhh…" she stroked his hair soothingly. "It's okay."

"N-no it's not!" he pulled back and stared into her eyes, his quivering, filled with moisture. "I'm sorry I'm so selfish and stupid! It's all my fault that you were hurt! I shouldn't have been so… so… so _DUMB!_"

Lucy tenderly caressed his face, wiping the tears away, "It's okay, Natsu. I forgive you."

"B-but…" his lip trembled. "But you _shouldn't_."

She cupped his face and leaned her forehead against his, "It doesn't matter. I'll forgive you a million times. No matter what happens. I'll _always _forgive you."

Natsu squeezed his eyes shut, clutching her shoulders. He made a good choice, he decided. There wasn't anyone he'd rather be so painfully in love with than this kind woman.

Lucy lifted her head and pressed her lips to the furrowed skin between his eyes. She gently smoothed the wrinkles away, unaware of the frenzy in which she was sending Natsu's heart. He gulped and opened his eyes again. She smiled and pinched his nose playfully.

"I dunno," she said. "Little Natsu is so cute, I'm not sure if I even _want _to turn you back."

"Don't be mean, Lucy," he pouted. "I hate being a little kid!"

She laughed and wrapped her arms firmly around his waist. She kissed him on the cheek, "But this Natsu is so much easier to cuddle!"

Natsu placed his arms around her neck again, leaning into her chest and tucking his face in the side of her throat to hide the mortified blush that blazed over his cheeks.

"Big me is easy to cuddle too…" he muttered.

Lucy grinned and stood, hugging him against her the way a mother would her child.

"Happy's worried about you," she said quietly and turned.

He inhaled her scent deeply.

No, he didn't deserve her. He _definitely _didn't deserve her.

But what the fuck was he supposed to do?

Just give up?

Yeah fuckin' right.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So, sorry this chapter is a day late. Stuff happened. Anyway, so I got a few reviews lately addressing the fact that my author's notes are kind of long. I apologize for that! I'm one of those people that rambles. I get so excited to be associated with cool people that I just talk and talk and talk and talk... seriously, you can ask my friends and family and they will roll their eyes dramatically and nod solemnly like, "OH MY GOD SHE NEVER SHUTS UP."<strong>

**So anyway, I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm gonna just write down my song suggestions at the end of a chapter and call it good. :)**

**So here we go!**

**TRACKS:**

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><p><strong>"Iscariot" by Walk the Moon<strong>

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><p><strong>"Wasting My Time" by Default<strong>

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><p><strong>"She is Love" by Parachute<strong>

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><p><strong>"You're Smiling (But I Don't Believe You)" by Margaret Glaspy<strong>

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><p><strong>"Carried Away" by Passion Pit<strong>

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><p><strong>Suggested by Uzumaki Naho:<strong>

**"Drown" by Bring Me the Horizon**

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><p><strong>Suggested by Guest (mtopping1992?)<strong>

**"Erie" by Close Your Eyes**

**"Carry You" by Close Your Eyes (You asked if I could write a chapter focused around this song, and to be honest, that doesn't sound like a hard thing to do. The lyrics to this song do fit really well with Natsu and Lucy's relationship. The way the singer promises to hold the object of his song and carry them through the storm and always be there in the end, it fits so well with BOTH Natsu and Lucy. Natsu will always be there to protect, or at least TRY to protect, Lucy through every hardship [like when he followed her to the fair and cheered her up anonymously/caught her as she fell from the stage] And Lucy will always be there to forgive and love Natsu even when he's being stubborn and ridiculous.)**

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><p><strong>Thank you everybody for your suggestions! I really love listening to your music and hearing your interpretations of the story. Keep it up! I hope I didn't miss any... I'll check through the reviews again later to be sure. And if I did miss any, I'll post them next chapter. Thanks! :)<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

By the time Lucy made it back to the others, Natsu was asleep, arms hanging limply over her shoulders, face resting comfortably against the warmth of her throat. The others had started a fire and were sitting around it, waiting for them.

"Is he alright?" Wendy asked softly as Lucy joined them and sat down on a log next to Happy and Carla.

"He's fine," she replied, equally as soft. "Just worn out."

"Will you three be alright without us?" Gray asked, not bothering to lower his voice.

"I think so," Lucy said, rubbing Natsu's back slowly. The little dragon slayer moaned softly and wiggled closer against her. "You still have to continue on with your job, don't you?"

"That's right," Erza said, poking at the fire absently.

Gray examined Natsu for a moment, "Isn't he heavy?"

"Hm? Oh. Not really."

"Now that you mention it," Wendy said, "He looks bigger than when we last saw him."

"You're right," Erza stared at him. "Before, he looked to be about… five or six."

"He looks more like nine now," Gray observed.

"Really?" Lucy looked down at the slumbering boy. "I didn't notice… but… I think you're right! Is the magic cream reversing itself?"

"Well actually," Erza straightened, "I believe I do recall Levy telling me that in time the cream should wear off. But she said it could take up to four months!"

"At this rate," Wendy said, "It looks like he'll be back to normal in just a little over one month."

"_Really_?" Lucy squeezed Natsu around the waist. "Then that means that he'll be back to normal before we even have the chance to finish making the antidote!"

Erza and Gray averted their eyes and cleared their throats. "Uhm… y-yeah."

"Maybe we should go home then," Lucy said. "It's so dangerous out here… maybe it's best if we just wait for the magic to correct itself."

"You know Natsu's not gonna go for that." Gray pointed out.

"The boy is just too stubborn to _wait_ for things to get better," Carla said, turning her nose up.

"He'll want to keep looking for the herbs no matter what," Happy agreed.

Lucy frowned, "But… it's so dangerous out here…"

"We have faith in you, Lucy," Erza said with a smile. "Besides, this will give you two an opportunity to really connect."

"Connect?" Lucy cocked her head to the side. "Is it possible to connect any further than we already have?"

Erza's face flushed and her heart raced, "So you mean… you've already… Well." She cleared her throat. "Alright!" excitement abruptly spread over her features. "It's not too late! We can still have a spring wedding if we really buckle down and start planning! Lucy, what do you want your colors to be? I was thinking plum and mint and then traces of tan—"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy gave her a perplexed expression.

"She thinks you and Natsu _looooooooove_ each other!" Happy giggled.

Lucy's face flared red, "Wh-what gave you _that _idea?"

"Well you did say that there's no way you could feel more connected to him," Gray pointed out, pulling his shirt up and over his head.

"That's…" Lucy fumbled for an excuse. "That's just… I meant that he's my best friend! And, and, and that we've been through so much together! That's all! That's all I meant by it!"

"Wow," Carla smiled knowingly. "You sure are trying awfully hard to defend yourself, aren't you?"

Lucy ducked her head and grumbled, "Don't you guys have a _job_ to complete?"

Everyone laughed and then Erza stood, "She's right. We need to continue on our mission."

"But I just got comfortable," Gray complained, stretching out his naked legs on the forest floor beneath him.

"Come on, Gray," Erza turned towards the dark woods behind her. "We must leave."

Wendy and Carla stood and gathered their packs.

"Good luck, Lucy," Wendy said encouragingly.

"Don't let that foolish child put you in any more hopeless situations," Carla said.

"Yeah, yeah," Gray stood, tossing his pants and shirt over one shoulder. "We'll see you later, Lucy. If that guy gives you any more trouble, let me know and I'll kick his ass, alright?"

"Sure," Lucy laughed nervously.

Erza grinned at her, "We are all counting on you to keep our little fire dragon slayer safe, Lucy."

Lucy stared for a few seconds and then gave a firm nod, a smile stretching across her face, "Yes!"

And with that, they left.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you don't want to go home?"<p>

Natsu glared at her, "No! I don't want to just wait around!"

"But you are aging so fast… there really is no need to continue looking for the herbs," Lucy said. "By the time we get back with all of the ingredients, you will be back to your normal age! So this is really pointless!"

"It's not pointless!" he crossed his arms over his chest. "I have to redeem myself!"

"Redeem yourself? For what?" she stared down at him in confusion.

He pouted and looked away, "For screwing up so bad last time. I let my pride get in the way and you got really hurt because of it." He turned away from her. "This time, I'm gonna let you protect me."

A smile stretched across Lucy's face and she leaned down and hugged him from behind.

"Wh-what're you doin'?" he exclaimed as she rubbed her cheek against his.

"You're so cute when you're being serious!" she cooed.

Happy giggled overhead and Lucy jerked her head up to him and snapped, "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT." Before he could say what everyone knew he was thinking.

Lucy released Natsu, much to his dismay, and turned towards the road, "Alright then. If you're so determined to continue, then let's go!"

"You know," Happy said, following on his wings as she started down the road. "We'd get there a lot faster if we took some kind of transportation."

Natsu groaned just from the thought of it.

"Never mind," Happy corrected.

"You're right, Happy," Lucy said. "The next ingredient on the list is really far away. More than a week's walk. If we took a carriage, it would only be a couple of days. But—"

"I don't want to ride a carriage!" Natsu exclaimed, shaking his fists as he chased after him. "My motion sickness is way worse as a little kid! I don't want to!"

"Relax, Natsu," Lucy said. "I won't make you ride in anything."

He breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Come on," she called to him. "You're falling behind!"

"Hold up," he ran to catch up. "I've got tiny legs!"

Lucy giggled and took his hand, "At the rate you're walking, you'll be sixteen by the time we get there."

Natsu gulped as warmth shot up his hand and spread across his chest. He grinned up at her, "Heh heh. It's not even about the ingredients anymore! It's about spending more time with you!"

This time it was Natsu's turn to send Lucy's heart into a frenzy.

* * *

><p>Back at the guild, it was a normal sunny morning. Mirajane was busy bussing tables and avoiding Macao's pleas for more alcohol. Cana was still drunk from the previous night's drinking spree and Juvia sat beside her, tears streaming down her face because her beloved Gray had gone on a mission without her. Jet and Droy were battling Gajeel for Levy's attention as she attempted to ignore all three by shoving her nose in a book. Laxus was pretending not to be amused by Evergreen and Elfman's bickering as Freed and Bickslow discussed something that happened on their last job. Lisanna and Kinana were washing dishes together behind the counter. Nab was staring at the job board as Vijeeter danced at his side.<p>

It was a normal sunny morning.

And then he walked through the doors.

A man, with long silver hair tied in a braid on the side of his angular face, wearing a white jacket and white pants, stood just within the doorway of the guild hall and glanced around with his crystal green eyes.

"Good morning," Mirajane greeted him cheerfully. "Can I help you with something?"

He grinned in reply, "This is the Fairy Tail mage guild, am I correct?"

"You most certainly are!" Mirajane returned his smile. "Do you have a job you'd like to ask of us?"

"Not exactly," he answered, eyes flitting away from the white haired demoness.

"Miraaaaaaaaaaa," Macao whined. "Please fill my cup!"

She giggled and shook her head at him, "I promised Romeo!"

The stranger walked further into the guild, drawing the attention of several other Fairy Tail mages. Bisca and Alzack walked inside with Asuka cradled in her father's arms.

"Good morning!" Bisca called and gave a wave.

"Oh, Bisca!" Max said from his place next to Warren at a nearby table. "I needed to talk to you about that trouble they were having in Hargeon."

"Oh yeah," the green haired woman made her way over to the table as Alzack carried his daughter to the bar next to Juvia.

The stranger in the white dragged his eyes along the guild hall. Mirajane began to feel uncomfortable by his scrutinizing stare.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked again.

"Hm…" he brought his eyes back to her. When their gazes met, Mirajane let out a gasp and dropped the tray of plates she had been holding. The plates shattered against the floor and Mirajane clasped the side of her head. She turned abruptly towards the counter, eyes searching.

"Big sis?" Lisanna moved around the counter worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Lisanna!" Mirajane's eyes filled with tears and she ran to her little sister, enveloping her in an almighty hug.

Elfman, hearing the distress of his elder sister, stood from his place and joined them, eyes darting to the stranger in white.

"What's going on?" Macao and Wakaba stood.

Laxus's eyes fell on the strange man, suspicious obvious in his gaze.

The man chuckled and looked around once more.

"I'm looking for a certain someone. A woman employed by this guild."

"Asuka, Sweetie," Alzack gently placed his daughter on her feet. "Go run and fetch the Master would you? And then stay in his office."

"Aye Sir!" the little girl tottered off as Alzack joined his wife.

"Who are you looking for?" Macao demanded. "And for what reason?"

"Hmmmm…" the man's eyes darkened and suddenly Macao cried out and fell back into his chair.

"Macao!" Wakaba grabbed the arm of the man, "Snap out of it! What's wrong?"

Laxus stood and walked across the guild to stand in front of the man. His impressive size shadowed the lean body of the stranger. Laxus stared down at him, eyes glinting in warning.

"State your business with Fairy Tail before I throw your ass off a cliff," the lightning dragon slayer commanded in a low voice.

"Ooooh," the man grinned. "Impressive. You are quite scary. Unfortunately," his green eyes flashed. "I'm scarier."

Laxus's eyes grew wide and he took a step back. His knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor, leaning on the palms of his hands, panting.

"LAXUS!" Evergreen, Freed, and Bickslow ran to their leader.

The entire guild hummed with magic energy as the Fairy Tail mages prepared themselves for battle. The stranger laughed, "Such an interesting guild! To get so angry over one measly member?"

Instantly, every single Fairy Tail mage dropped, letting out cries of fear and surprise.

The man lifted his hands, dark green energy radiating off of them. His laughter grew. "You are no match for me! Don't you understand?"

A table flew at the stranger's head and he ducked it.

Master Makarov stood on the balcony of the second floor in his giant state.

"WHO DARES ATTACK MY CHILDREN?" his booming voice echoed through the hall.

The stranger's grin only widened.

"So, the Master has arrived, has he?" he cackled. "JUST IN TIME!"

The man darted forward, green energy in his hand materializing into a long, shining blade. Quickly, so fast that Makarov couldn't even follow with his eyes, he sliced the blade across Laxus's throat, detaching his head from his body.

Evergreen screamed and the blade plunged towards her heart.

"NO!" Makarov tried to move, but his limbs were frozen in place.

The stranger dispatched the rest of the Raijinshu in mere seconds and then soared across the hall to the Strauss siblings. Elfman immediately morphed into his beast soul and stood in front of his sisters protectively, but even the rock hard hide of his Lizard Man soul couldn't stop the blade from embedding itself deep in his chest.

"ELFMAN!" Mirajane slammed into her demon soul, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The man laughed madly as he dodged her swiping claws and hacked her left arm off.

Lisanna screamed and threw herself at the man, only succeeding in impaling herself on his sword.

The remaining members of the guild rushed the man, throwing all they had at him. But it was no use. He cut them down, one by one and Makarov could do nothing but watch and roar in agony as the guild hall was painted red with the blood of his children. Tears streaked down his cheeks as the man finished off the last of the guild members and licked the blood from his blade, turning his green eyes up in the direction of the frozen giant.

His grin was maniacal as he stared up at the sobbing master.

"Don't cry, old man," he said. "You look so pathetic like that. After all, I left one of them alive." He pointed and Makarov's eyes followed the path to Asuka, who stood at the base of the stairs, eyes wide as she stared at the dismembered bodies of her parents.

"Mommy?" her voice was soft. "Daddy?"

"Asuka!" Makarov shouted. "Get away from that man!"

He laughed, "Don't worry. I'm not so sick that I'd murder a toddler."

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

He waved his hand carelessly, "Sure." His eyes locked onto the furious master's. A slow grin stretched his mouth wide, "Tell Lucy Heartfilia that I'm looking for her, would ya?" He winked and turned, green blade vanishing from his hand. He gave a wave, "Later, Master."

* * *

><p>"…aster? Master? MASTER MAKAROV!"<p>

Makarov let out a gasp and sat straight up.

Mirajane stared down at him worriedly. He glanced around in shock. He was leaning into the barmaid's lap, surrounded by his children as they all let out a collective sigh of relief.

"You had us so worried!" Elfman announced. "I was so worried that I was acting very unmanly!"

"Are you alright, Gramps?" Laxus knelt beside him and pressed his hand against the old man's forehead.

"Should I fetch Porlyusica?" Jet wondered.

Makarov's arms grew and stretched and he enveloped every Fairy Tail mage in the guild hall for a hug.

"Master?" Cana held her flask above her head protectively as she was squashed between Vijeeter and Kinana. "You alright?"

"I just lived my worst nightmare," Makarov said gruffly. When he finally released his children, everyone gaped in shock at the sight of the tears wetting his cheeks. "I'm so glad it was a nightmare and nothing more."

Mirajane and Laxus shared a knowing look.

Levy helped Makarov to his feet and he looked through the crowd. "Warren! I need you to contact Erza. Tell her she needs to gather the others and get here as soon as she can!"

"What's going on, Master?" Mirajane asked.

He fixed her with a serious stare. "Solomon Hollow, the master of the dark guild _Empty Ark_ is after Lucy. We have to stop him at all costs."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Did I scare you guys? I was going to end this after the whole "Later Master" part but then I was like... "Oh hell no. I'll get burned at the stake by everyone!"<strong>

**I'm looking up tracks on my phone and it's kind of difficult... so if I accidentally skip anyone's suggestions, please subtly remind me because I'm just the worst and I don't want to leave anyone out! I also want to point out that you guys are the absolute best readers a fanfic writer can have. You make me so happy every day! You make me want to be a better writer because I never want to disappoint you! I'm so grateful to have you in my life! Is there a way I can just be a fanfic writer for the rest of my life and not have to do anything else? Hm. Probably not, huh? Unless the MOTH becomes the owner of Pepsi or something like that. Or maybe we can win the lotto? That'd be the life! Oh well. I'll try and write my own books on the side so I can make a living and then also update fanfics regularly. Haha that shouldn't be too hard, right? ;P By the way, I just want to say that if I ever (in a perfect universe) became a super popular author and my stories were well liked and famous and stuff, I would read fanfics about them all the time. And then review the fanfic writers and thank them for writing about my stories. Awww that'd be so fun!**

**Anyway. Here's the tracks.**

**SUCIM (word jumble):**

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><p><strong>"Northern Wind" by City and Colour<strong>

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><p><strong>"Constant Conversations" by Passion Pit<strong>

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><p><strong>Suggested by Black Star's Wife:<strong>

**"Misguided Ghosts" by Paramore**

**"My Kind of Love" by Emeli Sandhe**

**"Burning Prayer" by Lal Mirch (from Katekyo Hitman Reborn... right?)**

* * *

><p><strong>And... I think that's it? I hope? Remember, if I accidentally missed anyone's suggestion, just remind me and I will get them next time. :) Promise.<strong>

**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!**

**Love-Moo**


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

"Can you just make up your mind already?" Lucy sighed.

"Shh!" Natsu commanded. He was crouched down over a clover patch, examining them in great detail. "I wanna pick the best one!"

Lucy crouched down next to him and hugged her legs to her chest, leaning her chin on her knees. It was incredible how much Natsu had grown in just the past week and a half. He almost looked to be in his preteens. They even had to stop in a town along the way to buy him larger clothes! (Which Lucy had to pay for _again_.)

A thought struck her all of the sudden.

"Natsu," she said. "How old _are you_?"

He peered up at her in surprise, "How… old am I?"

Happy sat up from his spot in the grass, "Now that you mention it, Lucy… I don't think I even know that."

Natsu deliberated for a minute, turning his eyes back to the clover patch. Finally he reached down and plucked a purple clover from the ground. He lifted it and offered it to Lucy. She took it from him with a blush.

"How old are you, Lucy?" he asked.

"Me?" she twirled the clover between her fingers. "Well… I guess I'm… twenty now. Not including those seven years on Tenrou Island…" Wow. Had she really only been a member of Fairy Tail for three years? She smiled gently. It felt like she had known Natsu and the others for her entire life.

"Then I'm also twenty!" Natsu decided, plucking another clover.

"Does that mean you don't actually know how old you are?" Happy asked.

Lucy stared at him in shock, "How can you not know?"

He shrugged, "I don't really know how old I was when I met Igneel. In fact… I don't really remember anything before Igneel. Just that I was alone. And that it really sucked, ya know?"

Lucy's heart ached when she thought about lonely Natsu.

He noticed her solemn expression and picked another clover, handing it over. "I'm not alone anymore. I haven't been for a really long time!" he grinned his signature grin. "Now I have the guild!"

Lucy smiled, "Yeah. That's true."

He picked another clover and passed it over to Happy.

"Uhm, Natsu?" Happy took the clover unsurely. "What are you doing?"

"Hm?" he plucked yet another, examined it, and handed it to Lucy.

"Why are you picking all of the clovers?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "You remember that they won't work when anyone else touches them, right?"

Natsu pursed his lips, "Well. That's just a lie everyone told me to keep me busy, isn't it?"

Lucy's eyes widened, "You figured it out?"

"Wait, what?" Happy frowned.

"Lucy, you knew too?"

"Knew what?" the blue cat asked.

Lucy sighed, "When did you figure it out?"

"When I saw that the ingredients were conveniently placed on the farthest parts of the country," he said. "When did you figure it out?"

"I knew from the beginning."

"What are you talking about?" Happy demanded. "Tell me!"

Lucy slid down to her bottom on the grass and stretched her legs out. "They lied when they said Natsu can be cured, Happy."

"_What_?" the cat's mouth dropped open.

She nodded, "Magic cream needs to be dispelled from the body naturally. Meaning the only way you can get rid of it is to wait for it to run its course."

"How did you know that?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "Levy's not the only bookworm in Fairy Tail, remember?"

Happy couldn't believe his ears. "But… but… if both of you knew that collecting the ingredients was pointless, why did you go along with it anyway?"

_To prove myself to Natsu_, Lucy thought.

_To spend more time with Lucy_, Natsu thought.

They exchanged a look and then turned back to the cat, answering simultaneously, "We were bored."

Happy shook his head, "Why would Erza and Levy and the others send us on this pointless mission?"

_To get me to confess my love_, Natsu and Lucy both thought.

They exchanged another look and then turned back to him, answering simultaneously, "They were bored."

Happy sighed and smacked his forehead with his palm. "I should've known."

Natsu grinned and patted his friend's head, "Cheer up, Buddy! It's just like any adventure we go on together, right?"

Happy brightened, "Aye Sir!" he smiled, "To be honest, it does feel nice. This is the first normal mission we've had together since the first time we ran into that fear guy and Natsu screwed things up for Lucy."

Lucy laughed as Natsu sent her an apologetic glance. She scooted closer to the two of them, wrapping an arm around Natsu's thin shoulders and scratching Happy's ears.

"It _is_ nice, isn't it?" her smile was soft. "I'm really lucky, you know that? To get to spend so much time with my two favorite people."

"I'm a cat!" Happy pointed out.

"Fine," Lucy leaned over and rubbed her nose against his. "My favorite person and my favorite cat. How's that?"

He made a face at her as she pulled back. "Better!"

Lucy sat back and laughed.

Natsu leaned back on the palms of his hands and stared up at the sky with a small smile on his face, "This place is nice."

"Yeah, it is," Lucy agreed, joining him in staring at the blue sky.

"Aye!" Happy also looked up.

"I wonder why they sent us here," Natsu added. "I didn't see a single monster on the way here. I thought they were trying to keep us busy?"

"Maybe they thought we deserved a break in between fighting for our lives?" Lucy offered.

"I don't think Erza's that kind," Happy pointed out.

"True. Levy must have made the map on her own then."

Natsu straightened suddenly, nose wiggling.

Lucy looked at him, "Are you okay, Natsu?"

He turned his nose left and right, sniffing.

"What is it, boy?" Happy said. "Do you smell somethin'?"

Lucy glared at him as he snickered and then looked back to Natsu as he slowly climbed to his feet, eyes darting around the wide open valley they sat in.

"I don't like this smell," his voice was low.

Lucy stood as well, looking around. "What does it smell like?"

His eyes clouded and his hands burst into flames as he finally decided on a direction south of them.

"Fear," he growled.

Lucy pulled her whip from her hip as they faced whatever lie in wait.

* * *

><p>"Do you think Jellal would be terribly put off if I chopped all of my hair off and knit him a sweater out of it?"<p>

"Erza, this is why you need at least eight hours of sleep a night," Gray flicked her hands away from him as they groped at his pecs.

Wendy chuckled and looked to Carla, "She really wasn't lying when she said she was going to stay up all night watching them."

Carla hmphed, "If she'd just let us take shifts, we wouldn't have to deal with her weirdness."

Gray leaned back on the palms of his hands. "Anyway, now that they're at the third ingredient, you can take a nap," he informed the scarlet haired mage. "There shouldn't be anything dangerous hunting them at this one."

Erza sighed and lay back, "You're right. It sure is tiring following those two around. I hope they confess their love soon."

She made a pillow out of Gray's jeans and shirt and then let her eyes drift shut.

Mere seconds later, she was being shouted awake by a voice in her head.

_Erza! Erza can you hear me_?!

Erza sat up, _Warren_? _Is that you_?

_Oh thank heavens. Listen Erza. Something has happened. You need to grab Natsu and Lucy and get back to the guild as soon as possible!_

Erza stood. Gray looked up at her, "Is something wrong?"

_What happened_? Erza demanded.

Warren said, _There isn't time to explain fully. Just get the others and come back quickly! We will tell you everything once you get here! Hurry! Lucy is in danger!_

"Erza?" Wendy asked nervously.

She looked down at them, "We need to get Natsu and Lucy _now._ Something's happened at the guild."

* * *

><p>"So ya had to spoil the surprise, huh?"<p>

Lucy gasped as the empty air ahead of them dripped and peeled away to reveal ten men, all dressed in ashy gray clothing.

"Who are you?" Lucy unfurled her whip with a crack and moved a hand to her leather pouch.

The man in front with messy yellow dreadlocks dragged his black eyes over her slowly. His gaze lingered on the pink guild mark on her right hand. He glanced back up into her face.

"That's a pretty tattoo ya got there," he sneered. "Looks a lot like the one I'm lookin' for."

Lucy gulped, "I said… _who are you_?"

He laughed, eyes darting to Natsu, and then back to her. "Not important, Sweetie. I know you're Lucy Heartfilia. That's all that matters right now."

Lucy popped open her pouch, "Answer my question or leave now! You don't want me to have to call my friends."

He snorted, "No, we wouldn't want that, would we?" he lifted his hand and a dark maroon glow radiated from it.

"Natsu," Lucy snapped. "Get behind me."

"Y-yeah," Natsu shoved down his refusal and moved behind her.

"That's cute," the man chuckled. "But how about we skip all of this melodrama huh? Just put your little toy down and come with us. Our Master's got some business with ya."

"I don't know you or your master," Lucy said tersely. "No fuckin' way I'm just gonna go with you."

"Ya got a mouth on ya, don't ya, Little Bitch?"

Natsu clenched his jaw, fists trembling at his side. A furious heat was rolling through his chest, overtaking his senses. _I won't let my pride get in the way,_ he chanted like a mantra in his mind.

"Yes," Lucy cracked her whip. "As do all normal human beings." Her brown eyes glinted, "That's just basic biology, _Bitch_."

The man's eye twitched, "Ya know… I don't like a woman with attitude."

"I'm not _asking _you to like me. I'm _telling _you to answer my _fucking _questions before I rip those greasy dreads from your fat skull!"

"You stupid—" the man whipped his arm forward and a shining maroon blade flew in her direction.

Before anyone could react, Lucy's whip slapped the materialized weapon away. She brought the whip back to her side and cocked an eyebrow, "Getting angry, are we? How about we skip all of this melodrama and you just leave with your tails between your legs like good cowards?"

_I won't let my pride get in the way_, Natsu breathed deeply, desperately trying to contain his rage. _Even though that bastard dared to raise a hand to Lucy. My Lucy… I won't let my pride get in the way…_

"You stupid…" the man snapped his fingers and the others standing behind him all started to glow and hum with magical energy. "Just because Master asked us to bring you alive doesn't mean we can't rough you up a little bit!"

"Bring it on," Lucy snarled, reaching into her leather pouch.

Another blade came soaring through the air and Lucy didn't have the chance to knock it away like the last before it was burnt to a pile of ashes.

Natsu placed himself between Lucy and the group of men.

Lucy blinked down at him, "Natsu! What are you—"

"This isn't about my pride anymore!" he shouted, fists flaming at his sides. "This isn't about my ego or wanting to be stronger. This isn't me doubting your abilities!" His flames brightened with every word. His golden eyes flashed with fury. "It's not about my pride. It's not about my strength or yours. It's about my refusal to just sit back and watch as someone threatens the person I cherish most in this world!" He widened his stance and held up his fists. His feet crushed small craters in the ground. "Even if you someday surpass me… Even if I grow too weak to even roll out of bed… I will always, ALWAYS put myself between you and an enemy! That's my vow!"

"Natsu…"

"Quit the sweet talk!" the man with the dreads demanded. "Just hand the girl over and we can all get back to our lives!"

"_Shut up_!" Natsu flew across the space between them and landed a fiery punch in his left cheek, sending him flying backwards. He crumpled into the grass. "No one is taking Lucy _anywhere_!"

"Natsu!" Gray dropped from the sky, landing next to Lucy, scaring a shriek from her. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed her, lifting her into his arms. "I'm taking Lucy back to the guild!"

"_DAMN IT_!" fire spurted from Natsu's mouth as the ice mage turned and bounded across the prairie. "_DON'T COME IN HERE AND DO WHAT I JUST SAID NO ONE CAN DO!_"

"C'mon, flame ass!" Gray ignored his complaints and kept running.

"GRAAHHHH!" Natsu clapped his flaming hands together. "FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!" a wave of fire burst from his body and blasted the remaining mages away from him. While his weakened flames didn't do much harm to the seasoned mages, it did give Natsu enough time to escape.

Happy swooped down and grabbed onto the dragon slayer, "Here we go, Natsu!"

"Aye Sir," he grumbled.

* * *

><p>Kieran hung on his chains, panting. The dank air of the cell chilled the sweat and blood dripping down his body, sending chills down his spine. His mind felt ragged. He could still feel Solomon's probing magic penetrating his brain, rifling through his fears. He had tortured him for hours until he found the one he was looking for.<p>

Kieran could still see the scene Solomon forced him to watch. He bit his lip, breaking the skin and bringing more blood to the surface.

"It's my turn to watch the prisoner," a muffled voice sounded from the just outside the door of the cell.

"Finally," another voice sighed. "Solomon's had me out here all fuckin' day! I'm starvin' here!"

"Yeah, yeah. Quit bitchin' and scram already."

"Thanks, Dick."

"Fuck you too."

Kieran coughed. _Finally_, he pulled himself up slightly. _A chance_.

"Jessup," he muttered.

He was met with silence.

"Jessup," he repeated, louder this time.

The door of the cell opened, and in walked a man in black. His long brown hair was tied in a knot on top of his head. He walked up to the bars of Kieran's cage and crossed his arms over his chest. "Long time, no see, Kieran," he said quietly.

"Jess," Kieran turned his lone eye up to his former guild mate. "Please… please…"

"Save it, Kier," Jessup looked away. "I'm not letting you out. Orders are orders."

He coughed again, spitting blood onto the floor before him.

"We may have been friends in the past," Jessup continued, eyes tightening. "But… that's different now. You left the guild. We're practically strangers now."

"I'm sorry," Kieran murmured. "Sorry for leaving."

Jessup blew air out of his mouth, "It's too late for that…"

"Please… Jess…"

"No, Kieran. I _can't_."

"No. It's not that. I wouldn't ask you to free me. I know I don't have the right to ask that anymore. I just…" he coughed again. "I can't stand like this anymore. Please… just loosen my chains enough that I can sit. I'm begging you."

Jessup looked uncertain. "Solomon would be angry with me…"

"Just for a few hours. Please. Before your shift is over, you can tighten them again. I just… need rest. _Please_."

Jessup sighed, looking around hesitantly. "I…" he sighed again and rubbed his temples. "Alright." He pulled his key from his pocket and unlocked the gate of the cell. He walked inside and approached tentatively. "In honor of our past friendship, I'll help you this one time. Then that's it, you hear me?"

"Yes. Yes…. Thank you," Kieran sighed with relief.

Jessup knelt when he was near and unlocked where the chain on his left hand was attached to the wall. He pulled the chain, slackening it so that Kieran could lower his hand under his head. He did the same for his right hand.

"Are those slack enough?" he asked.

Kieran rested his back against the wall and tugged on the chains. He looked up at the other man, "More than enough." He suddenly kicked out, wrapping his thighs around the other man's head. He wrenched his hips and slammed Jessup down to the floor. The man cracked his head on the hard stone floors and instantly lost consciousness.

Kieran pulled his legs away from his old friend. He leaned down and lifted the keys from where Jessup had dropped them on the floor. He went to work unlatching his manacles and then stepped away from the wall. He let out a deep sigh of relief and then lifted Jessup, moving him in the place he just vacated. He chained his former guild mate to the wall and then held his face in his hands.

"Sorry," he murmured and moved back. "I'll make it up to you one day. I promise." He removed his eye patch and slipped it over the man's head, shrouding his left eye. "It'll wear off in a few hours," he whispered. He stepped back and brushed off his black clothing. He reached up and tightened his top knot. He then rubbed his left eye, adjusting to being able to see through two eyes again. He stared at Jessup, but all he saw was himself, dressed in tattered clothing, bloody and beaten, slouching unconscious against the wall.

He turned quickly and exited the cell.

"Yo, Jess!" a guild member called as Kieran walked quickly down the hall. "What're ya doin'? Ain't ya supposed to be guardin' the prisoner?"

Kieran tossed the keys at him, "Cover for me for a half hour, will ya? I gotta go to the shitter."

"Jeez man," he scowled as he caught the keys. "Didn't ya do that before goin' up? It's only been like ten minutes!"

"Cut me some slack! It ain't like the boss is around anyway," Kieran ended the conversation by tromping down the stairs.

His human takeover should last him a few hours. Just enough time to sneak out of the guild and contact Lucy Heartfilia about the danger that threatened her. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "This is all my fault…"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Hey everybody! I'm having SUCH a hard time concentrating. I only edited half of this before I decided to just post it because I'm soooooooo distracted. So suggested tracks will have to wait until tomorrow. Well... everything will have to wait til tomorrow. Sorry I'm so scatterbrained. It's just been one of THOSE days, ya dig? So I'm just gonna sign off right now and then reread over this thing tomorrow and probably cringe about how bad it is, maybe edit it a little bit... and yeah. <strong>

**Thanks for your continued support! I love you all soooooooo much!**

**Love-Moo**


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

"So it's back to this, huh?" Lucy sighed.

Gray slumped down into her couch as Erza sat at her table, eating a slice of cake. Wendy and Carla were reading one of her books on the floor. Happy was gnawing on a fish on her desk, and Natsu was sitting next to Lucy on her bed, head jerking back and forth as his suspicious eyes darted around the room.

"Well," Gray said with a yawn, "Naturally. After what Gramps and the others told us, of course we'd have to stay with you."

"All of you, though?" she frowned.

"This Solomon guy is powerful enough to affect Master Makarov," Erza said, rubbing her cheek in ecstasy after taking a bite of her cake. "So you need extra protection."

"I don't understand why he's after Lucy though," Wendy said, turning a page of the book. "You said you don't know him, right Lucy?"

She gulped, "Master said he uses fear magic…"

Natsu scooted closer to her, eyebrows lowering.

Carla looked up at them, "You think he is somehow connected to the man that kidnapped you?"

She stared at her hands in her lap, "It's the only reason I can think of…"

"It's best if you don't go anywhere alone from now on," Erza said. "At least until we catch this guy."

Lucy swallowed, heart racing. Her hands shook and she clasped them tightly together, knuckles turning white. _Not again_. _Not this again…_

A hand covered hers. She glanced up into Natsu's face. His body was in its early teens now, just barely older than Wendy, but there was an intense maturity in his golden eyes as he held her stare.

"It's okay," he said quietly. "This time I'll be by your side. I'm not going anywhere."

Tears filled her eyes and she bit her lip. She gave a firm nod and unclasped her hands, twining her fingers with his.

Wendy blushed, pretending not to notice.

Happy and Carla exchanged a look.

Gray smiled discreetly and leaned his head back on the couch, closing his eyes.

Erza whispered, "Spring wedding."

_That's right_, Lucy breathed evenly through her mouth, allowing her eyes to slide shut. The last time this had happened to her, it had been awful for a number of reasons, but the first and foremost worst part of it was Natsu's absence. This time would be different though. Natsu had no reason to avoid her this time. And with Natsu at her side, there was no way anything bad could happen. They could survive through anything together.

_"I had never felt anything like it before…"_

Lucy's confidence faltered as she remembered Mirajane's words upon their arrival back to the guild earlier that day. The white haired barmaid was obviously shaken as she clung to Lisanna.

_"It only lasted a few seconds," she said, stroking her little sister's short hair. "I saw Lisanna killed again, but it felt even more real than the first time I thought she died. I had never been more scared in my life."_

_She looked up at Lucy and fixed her with a serious stare, "And then when Master came out, the same thing happened to him. He fell to the ground and started screaming and writhing around… we were all so preoccupied with him that we didn't notice the strange man leave. Master was only unconscious for about two minutes… but when he woke up, he said he saw his worst nightmare."_

_Solomon Hollow…_ Lucy's eyebrows knit together. His fear magic sounded different from Azamin's. Azamin made his victim feel uncontrollable fear, but it was baseless. This man on the other hand… he could actually rifle through his prey's mind and discover what his greatest fear was. Then he could use it against them by creating the illusion of that fear being realized. Chills scrambled over Lucy's skin. _Monster_… she thought. _He's a monster to use such a cowardly magic._

What was her greatest fear? What would he use on her if given the chance? She squeezed Natsu's hand. _I don't ever want to find out…_

"Alright Lucy," Erza's voice pulled her from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and looked up at the scarlet haired woman. "Time for bed. Everyone put your pajamas on!"

Lucy released Natsu's hand and he pulled his back reluctantly. The blonde sighed and climbed out of bed. "Yes Erza," she said and went about gathering her pink sweatpants and white tank top from her dresser.

"Wendy," she said, "Want to change with me in the bathroom?"

"Alright," Wendy followed the girl into the other room with her bag in hand. They changed quickly and went back into the bedroom.

Gray was in his underwear on the couch, clothes in a heap on the floor next to him. Erza had requiped into her purple Heart Kreuz pajamas and stood next to the bed, where Natsu was stretched out, dressed only in black pants and his scarf. Happy and Carla were sharing a fish on the table.

Erza, upon noticing Lucy and Wendy had returned, clapped her hands. "Alright! Since tomorrow we must be on our highest guard, we should all try to rest well tonight!"

Lucy sighed, "I really wish you guys would've prepared a little better for this situation. I think I only have like… one extra pillow and one extra blanket. And the blanket is kind of scratchy and—"

"It'll be fine, Lucy," Erza insisted.

"Well… okay…"

"Then, let's all get into bed," Erza turned to Natsu.

"Wait…" Lucy took two hesitant steps towards her. "Bed?"

"That's right," she grabbed Natsu and pulled him off of the mattress, ignoring his complaints. "It's the best way to keep you protected without having someone lose sleep by staying up and keeping watch. Come on then."

Lucy couldn't believe her ears. "That's never going to work."

Erza dragged Gray from the couch and shoved him towards the bed. "Gray is first. Slide all the way to the wall."

The ice mage didn't bother to argue. He climbed into the bed and crawled over to the far edge, lying on his side and facing the wall.

"Next will be Wendy and Lucy," Erza continued. "Then me and Natsu."

"Denied," Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist and yanked her towards the bed. "Lucy doesn't leave my side. Ever." He slid into the bed, tugging her along with him. He put his back to Gray's and pulled Lucy into his chest, giving Erza a firm stare, as if challenging her to defy him. Lucy's cheeks blazed and she cleared her throat, anticipating the requip mage's violent rebuttal.

Erza only chuckled. "Very well. If you insist Natsu."

"I do."

"Alright," she looked to the little sky dragon. "Inside or out, Wendy?"

"Uhh… I'll take the outside, I guess," she scratched her head.

Once everyone was squished into the bed, Carla curled up in Wendy's arms as Happy turned off the lights. Once he flew back to the cramped bed, he flopped down on top of the blanket that Erza had thrown over the entire group and instantly fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Erza and Wendy stole the pillow and the blanket. Lucy's neck ached and her toes, ears, and nose were frozen. Was Gray's icy aura somehow attacking her as he slept? She sighed and rubbed her feet against the bed, hoping the friction would grant her some warmth.<p>

She hadn't slept a wink yet. No one else seemed to be bothered by the awkward closeness. They were packed so tight in the bed that she was afraid to move an inch. Erza's elbow was digging in to her side now, and her eye twitched. She was _never _going to fall asleep at this rate. She let out a little moan and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Lucy?"

She opened her eyes at the whisper. Natsu was awake and staring at her.

"What's wrong?" he wondered.

She frowned, "What isn't?"

He didn't answer, eyes boring into hers.

She sighed, "My neck hurts. My feet and face are freezing. Erza's wedged her elbow so far into my side that it's practically a new rib. Oh and I haven't slept for a single second this entire night. Shall I go on?"

"Hold up," he said. He sat up slightly and unwrapped the scarf from around his neck. He maneuvered it onto hers, bunching it up under her chin. He then lay back down and gently nudged her head up. She lifted it off of the bed dutifully and he smoothly slid his arm under it, providing a warm pillow as he nudged her cheek back down. He then wrapped his other arm around her waist and tugged her closer to him, away from Erza's penetrating elbow. His legs tangled with hers and his bare feet, which were wonderfully hot, rubbed the ice blocks that had grown at the end of her ankles.

"Okay," he whispered. "Go on. What else is wrong?"

Lucy's cheeks blazed and she gulped.

"Uhm… that… that's it."

He squeezed her around the waist.

She let out a breath and let her eyes drift shut. She leaned her face in closer to his overwhelming heat, pressing her cold nose to the raging pulse in his throat.

"Thank you, Natsu," she murmured.

"Anytime."

Long seconds ticked by and Lucy was just falling to sleep when he spoke again.

"Hey Lucy?"

"Hm?" she didn't bother to open her eyes. She nuzzled her nose against his skin.

"Will you promise me somethin'?" he gently tugged on the hair at the back of her neck.

"Hm?" she leaned her head back and stared up at his serious expression. "What is it?"

He gulped, eyes moving past her head, "Will you… will you promise that you won't go anywhere?"

"Where would I go?"

He squeezed her around the waist, "I just feel like… like I'm not gonna be around you soon."

"What do you mean?" her heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"

He sighed, "It's just a feeling I got, ya know? Like right here in my chest," he pulled his arm back and pointed to his heart. "I just got this painful sensation." He replaced his arm over her waist again. "I feel like we're gonna get separated. I feel like you're going to disappear from me."

"Natsu…"

"I don't want that to happen," his chin jutted out.

"There's no way that'll happen."

"It's happened before."

She blushed in shame, "I'm sorry."

He didn't say anything.

"Natsu," she reached up and cupped his face in her hands. "Look at me."

He met her eyes reluctantly.

She smiled softly, "I'm not going anywhere. At least not without you, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise. From now on, don't leave my side, alright?"

He leaned his forehead against hers, eyes sliding shut, a small smile forming on his lips. "So long as you don't leave my sight."

"I can do that," she whispered.

"I really hate to ruin the moment," Gray's sleepy voice drifted over Natsu's back and they both froze. "But could you guys keep it down? People are tryin' to sleep."

Their cheeks blazed red and Lucy hid her face in Natsu's neck.

Erza sat up suddenly and leaned over to punch Gray. "_You idiot_!" she said. "_They were having a loving, touching moment! How could you ruin that_!"

A scuffle broke out. The bed was scrambled. Wendy, Carla, Happy, and Lucy escaped as Natsu jumped into the fight. In the end, Erza fell asleep holding both Gray and Natsu in a headlock. The boys were either asleep or knocked unconscious.

Lucy and Wendy looked at each other. They both laughed and then slid back into the bed, sharing the pillow and blanket between them. They cuddled together with Carla and Happy. Lucy was just falling asleep when she felt something tug on the back of her shirt.

She glanced over her shoulder.

His eyes were still closed, but his hand nudged at her. She smiled tenderly and reached over. She twined her fingers with his and he let out a small sigh. Lucy closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Oh jeez. Sorry guys. These past days have been soooo distracting. I don't even know why. As soon as I sit down and start writing, my attention drifts off to another dimension or some such crap. Maybe it's because Breufe is finally showing interest in Fairy Tail and we've started rewatching it from the beginning. Maybe it's because I just suck. Either way, I apologize. Also, was the server down for everyone else the other day too? I was like, WHAT'S HAPPENING!? So that helped contribute to me not writing much... This chapter is short, and not much happens... but at least there's some NaLu moments in it, right? <strong>

**Anyway, ughhhh I'm so not talkative. The MOTH is playing Majora's Mask and my eyes are just so drawn to the TV that I can't write a full sentence before I'm distracted. I just love that rocking Zora ghost, man. Classic.**

**Welp, Sorry about how short it is and about how I didn't update yesterday, I'll make it up to you somehow. Promise.**

**Or I'll just crush all of your hope and dreams, like a real artist. Heh heh heh...**

**TRACKS:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Latch" Boyce Avenue's version. The original is by Disclosure, featuring Sam Smith, but I prefer Boyce Avenue's in this situation because of the softness they bring to the lyrics. :)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by Uzumaki Naho:<strong>

**"Broken" by Seether, featuring Amy Lee. I really like this song! And also think it fits really well. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, I looked through a bunch of the reviews and think that was the only suggestion... but if I missed any, please remind me! I don't want anyone to feel like I've ignored them. :)<strong>

**Thanks for your support! I love you all! Until next time.**

**Love-Moo**


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

"But you said you wouldn't leave my sight!"

"_LUCY… KICK!_" Lucy slammed her foot into Natsu's cheek and sent him flying from the bathroom and into her bedroom once more.

She sighed and slumped back down in the bath tub, submerging up to her collarbone. "You can come back up, Wendy," she nudged the little sky dragon slayer with her foot. She broke the surface of the water once more and gasped for breath, face red.

Erza paused in lathering up her hair with shampoo and glanced at the raging blonde. "Oh, you're too hasty, Lucy. I think it's a fine idea to have the boys bathe with us."

"No way!" Lucy and Wendy both exclaimed simultaneously.

"Hmm…" Erza rubbed her chin, "Yes… you're right. There's not quite enough room in this bathroom for everyone, is there?"

"Space isn't the problem," Lucy grumbled.

"What are we going to do today?" Wendy asked, taking the soap Lucy offered.

"We will go to the guild and consult with Master," Erza replied, rinsing her hair. "Maybe he can tell us what we ought to do about this whole situation."

Lucy rested her chin on her knees. It was just one thing after another, wasn't it? First, her run of fights with Natsu. After that, being kidnapped by Azamin. And then, running off on her own (even though she wasn't really alone). Then straight into the whole young Natsu thing. But this… well… this might be the worst of all.

Or not.

They still had a chance to change things. They could prevent this Solomon guy from raising a hand against her and the rest of Fairy Tail.

_We still have a chance, right_? Lucy hid her face and sighed. She just didn't know.

* * *

><p>"Of course it snowed," Lucy grumbled and glared through the doorway at the white wonderland outside.<p>

"Wow!" Wendy leaned through the doorway and looked up and down the street. "It snows so rarely here that when it does it's a complete surprise!"

"This is my kind of weather!" Gray walked outside, wearing only a pair of pants.

Erza followed him, "Alright, let's head to the guild."

"Wait!" Lucy said. "Let me go change first! I'm not wearing warm enough clothes!"

Gray let out a groan, "Oh come on! We've already wasted half the morning waiting for you to get ready! I'm starving!"

"But…"

"The walk to the guild isn't long," Erza said. "Summon Horologium if you're cold."

She and Gray headed down the road, followed by Wendy and Carla.

"I could carry you, if you want, Lucy," Happy offered.

She sighed, "No… it's okay. Erza's right. It's not that far." She crossed her arms over her chest in attempts to hold in some of her body heat and then stepped out into the street, breathing out a sigh of relief that she had worn boots instead of the sandals she had been considering.

Natsu grabbed her elbow and held her back. She glanced at him in surprise, "What is it?"

He silently unbuttoned his one sleeved jacket. Even though he was still not back to his original size, he had gone back to his normal clothes once his new ones became too tight. He pulled the jacket off and then handed it to Lucy.

"Are you sure?" she asked with a blush.

"I don't need it," he grinned and lit a fire in his left hand. "I never get cold!"

She smiled, "Thank you." She pulled the jacket on and buttoned it up, discreetly reveling in the campfire smell that lingered in the fabric.

Natsu stepped closer and wrapped his scarf around her neck. She blinked at him in surprise. He fluffed it up to cover the majority of her throat and then positioned the tails carefully. When he was satisfied, he stepped back and examined his handiwork.

Lucy dipped her chin inside the scarf, staring at him with her wide brown eyes. Pink feathered her cheeks. Natsu's heart twisted and ached in his chest at the sight of her in his clothes.

He could have that every day. If only she reciprocated his feelings… he could wake up to her wearing his clothes every single morning…

His cheeks flamed red and he grabbed her hand, "C'mon, they're leaving us behind."

They ran off into the street, Happy following above. The cat giggled, covering his mouth with his paws. "They _looooooooooovvveee_ each other!"

* * *

><p>"I don't want you to go on any jobs for the time being," Makarov advised Lucy.<p>

She sighed, "Yes Master."

"If you need any money for rent, the guild will work together to loan it to you."

"That… that won't be necessary…"

"Lucy's rent is due in a week and she's short about thirty thousand jewel," Natsu walked up to the table and sat down, two mugs of juice in his hands. He offered one of the mugs to Lucy as she ducked her head and muttered,

"Thanks…"

"We'll send a team out to earn the money for you," Makarov said.

"But Master!"

"You'll pay them back when this is all sorted out," he nodded firmly. "This isn't charity. It is a loan."

Lucy swallowed her pride and gave a nod.

"You can get your meals here at the guild. I don't want you wandering about alone, either."

She groaned, "I know this already! I don't need you to tell me!"

"Natsu's not enough either."

"What?" Natsu slammed his mug on the table. "I'm more than enough, Gramps! What are you talkin' about?" fire burst from his mouth, "Lucy don't need nobody but me! You hear?"

"Son, this isn't about you. This is about Lucy's safety. Do you want to half ass such a thing?"

Natsu clamped his mouth shut and leaned on the palm of his hand morosely.

Lucy took a sip of her juice, mind whirling.

"I'm sending out a small task force to look for information concerning Solomon's motives and whereabouts at the moment," Makarov continued, stroking his mustache. "But it is a very real possibility that he might show up here or at your home in search for you." He nodded, "That's another thing. From now on, you'll stay in Natsu's house."

"_Ehhhhh_?" Lucy and Natsu both exclaimed.

He blinked at them for a few seconds. "You won't be alone. Erza, Gray, and Wendy will accompany you."

"But, why?" Lucy asked.

"Natsu's house is discreet. Remote. Only the people in the guild and the mailman even know where it is. It makes sense that you'd stay there."

She frowned at his logic. She didn't like the thought of staying anywhere but her home though.

"A link will be set up at all times with everyone in the guild through Warren's telepathy," Master continued. "All you have to do is focus on speaking to him or anyone else included in the link and they will be contacted."

"Okay…" Lucy took another sip of her juice and then glanced at the old man. "Master… what can you tell me about this Solomon guy?"

Makarov sighed and pulled out his pipe. "Solomon Hollow… he's the master of the dark guild Empty Ark. Many years ago, Empty Ark was a well-known and respected guild in the North. At the time, its master was Joy Habbot. She was a friendly and kind woman with incredible cloud magic. But…" he rubbed his chin. "She was always a sickly woman. She would fall ill at the drop of a hat. Always on her death bed. When we came back from Tenrou Island, I heard word that Joy had died and a new master had taken over. This new master immediately started getting in trouble for his despicable use of fear magic. He used his power to extort officials. He attacked innocents for sport. He was kicked out of his league and Empty Ark was deemed a dark guild five years ago."

"And Solomon was this new master."

He nodded. "Most of the original members of Empty Ark left the guild as soon as it was kicked from the league. Solomon started recruiting other mages with similar magic to his own."

"So there… there are more fear mages out there?" she gulped.

"Yes." Makarov puffed on his pipe slowly. "And not just fear mages. He recruited anybody that had an ability he could use to extort and harm others."

"And now he's after me," she whispered.

"_LUCY HEARTFILIA_!"

Everyone whirled towards the shout. Natsu leapt up from his seat and stood in front of her, hands aflame. Other Fairy Tail mages did the same, preparing for the worst.

Lucy peered around Natsu to the lone man standing in the doorway of the guild hall. He wore ragged clothing that was stained with blood. His face was gaunt and dirty. His right eye was squeezed shut and his left blue orb was darting around the hall.

She gasped and stood as his face struck a chord in her mind.

"K-Kieran?"

Kieran jerked his head in the direction of her voice. As soon as his lone eye rested on her, he let out a sigh of relief. He had made it in time. Spots swam in his vision and he stumbled on weakened knees. He had made it in time. _Oh good_… Everything went black and he collapsed in a heap.

* * *

><p>"Is he going to be okay, Wendy?"<p>

"I think so… he had a lot of blood loss, but he seems to be recovering nicely now."

"Child, don't push yourself so hard!"

"I'm okay, Carla. There's nothing more I can do anyway. He just needs to rest."

Something warm enveloped Kieran's hand. He inhaled deeply. He felt warm all over, actually. Where was he? What happened?

Wait…

"_Lucy Heartfilia_!" Kieran jerked straight up in bed.

Lucy and Wendy jumped in surprise. Lucy squeezed the man's hand and leaned over him, "I'm here! I'm right here!"

He turned his one good eye in her direction. At the sight of her, his heartbeat slowed and calmed. He let out a deep breath and rubbed his temple with his free hand.

Natsu, who had been leaning up against the wall, walked over to stand behind Lucy.

"You okay, old man?" he asked.

Kieran's eye flickered between the two of them, "I'm glad you're both okay. I was afraid I wouldn't make it in time."

"What happened?" Lucy squeezed his hand again. "Who did this to you?"

"We don't have time. We need to get you to safety, fast!" he tried to climb out of bed but Lucy pushed him back.

"You can't move yet!" she insisted. "You need to rest!"

"Wait," Natsu stepped forward. "She needs to get to safety? What for? Don't tell me… you're talking about that Solomon guy?"

Kieran's eye widened, "You… you've already run in to him?"

"Not personally, no," he scowled. "Lucky for him. Because the instant I see him, I'm gonna knock his head loose for messing with Fairy Tail!"

Lucy pressed Kieran's shoulders down in the bed and pulled the blanket up under his armpits. "Solomon attacked our guild about a week ago. No one was hurt… but it sounds like he used his fear magic on just about every single person in the guild hall that day."

"How do you know that bastard?" Natsu demanded, eyebrows knitting together. "And how do you know he's after Lucy?"

Kieran looked away, "This is all my fault…"

"Hey!" Natsu grabbed the collar of the man's shirt and pulled him up to look the dragon slayer dead in the eye. "Answer my question."

"Natsu!" Lucy grabbed his elbow and yanked him back. "Stop! He's not our enemy!"

Kieran sighed, "I'm sorry. This really is all my fault. You see… I used to be a member of the Empty Ark guild."

"_What_?" Natsu and Lucy exclaimed.

Lucy looked to Wendy, who sat quietly watching this whole time. "Wendy, can you go get Master? He probably needs to hear this too."

"What do you mean you're a member of that guild?" Natsu shook Kieran violently, whipping the man's head back and forth. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE AN OKAY GUY! WHY ARE YOU A MEMBER OF THAT ASSHOLE DARK GUILD?"

"Natsu!" Lucy pulled him away, wrapping her arms around his, pinning them to his side so he couldn't assault the man another time.

Kieran rubbed his head, "I said I _used _to be a part of that guild! And it wasn't always a dark guild!" he looked to Lucy. "It used to be an honorable place. Our master, Joy, was kind and generous. I idolized her for years." He turned away, "I loved that guild. I considered its members my family. It's where…" he gulped. "It's where I met Riata for the first time."

Natsu and Lucy exchanged a look.

"So our guest is awake, is he?" Master Makarov entered the infirmary, followed by Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Happy.

"Master!"

Makarov walked over and climbed up into the stool sitting beside Kieran's bed. "Nice to meet you, Son. My name's Makarov."

"Kieran…"

"Kieran eh? Well Kieran. How about you tell us the story from the start?"

Happy and Carla sat at the foot of Kieran's bed as Wendy pulled up a chair next to Makarov. Erza and Gray stood as Natsu quickly grabbed a chair from a different bed and placed it down for Lucy.

Kieran looked to the blonde. She reached out and took his hand, giving him a nod. "You can trust everyone in this room. I promise."

He inhaled deeply, "Alright." He launched into his story. He talked of how he had joined Empty Ark as a child with nowhere else to go. He told them how he met and fell in love with Riata Heron. "We were happy," he whispered. "For a little while. Joy made sure that all of her children were happy. We were the most important things to her. Her family. And we felt the same way."

Lucy glanced over to Makarov. It all sounded so familiar to her.

"Then one day…" Kieran's jaw clenched. "Joy's sister died. She was heartbroken. She packed up and left to visit her childhood home to be with her family for the funeral. She was gone for weeks. And when she came back… she brought along her sister's sons." His eye darted up to Lucy, "Azamin and Solomon Hollow."

Lucy's throat closed up.

"_What_?" Natsu shouted. "This Solomon guy is that bastard's _brother_?" His hands clenched into fists at his side.

Kieran looked away again, "Yes. They are brothers."

"Hmmm…" Makarov stroked his mustache. "Continue."

"Even though they were young at the time, they were little devils. They specialized in fear magic, like their mother. But unlike their mother, whom had left the guild to pursue a life without magic… Azamin and Solomon used their fear magic _daily_."

Lucy's hands tightened in her lap. Natsu noticed the whiteness of her knuckles and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Joy's sister hated her magic," Kieran went on. "She hated being the cause of terror. But the boys _reveled_ in it. From the first day in the guild, they went about terrorizing everyone. Joy punished them, naturally, but they knew just how to play on her sympathies. They used their mother's death against her time and time again." His hands clenched into fists, "I _hated_ those little brats. Everyone did." His hands loosened again, "Although… Azamin did seem different. He blindly followed everything his brother told him. But I could still see the remorse in his eyes. He didn't like his power. Just like his mother."

The room was icily silent as he paused to gather his thoughts.

"Something people don't know about fear magic," he said, "is that its use has significant negative effects on the caster. By causing so much fear and mania… the caster's mind slowly deteriorates. The magic literally drives them insane. Solomon knew this. That is why he always used Azamin for his pranks. An act that followed him into adulthood." He swallowed, "Then one day… Joy fell ill. She brought me into her room and she asked a favor of me. She asked me to watch out for Azamin. She said she could see the kindness within him. At first, I wanted to deny her plea. I didn't want Riata to be involved with the boy any more than she had to be. But… in the end I agreed. Not long after I promised to watch after him, Joy died. And Solomon took over as Master of the Empty Ark guild."

"Who would nominate an asshole like him?" Gray interjected. "Surely you, or _anybody _would've been a better choice."

"You're right," Kieran agreed. "But no one could surpass Solomon in power. Anyone that tried to defy him was put under his magic and forced to see his worst nightmare play before his eyes over and over and over again. Nothing was worth that kind of torture, everyone knew. So we let him reign like a dark lord. Tch," he looked away. "He started doing terrible things. He used Azamin to extort others. I tried to do as Joy had asked. I spoke to Azamin. I took him in, showed him kindness and friendship… but the years of damage done to his mind by his magic was too great. He was just… too far gone." He looked to Lucy, "He had this ridiculous notion that he was some kind of… savior. That he could wash away someone's sins by torturing them repeatedly, day after day. It was the only thing he knew… causing pain and terror."

Lucy averted her eyes.

"But I think I did get through to him somehow," he said. "One day, he had a fight with Solomon. He accused his brother of using him for his dirty work. He was sick of it. He tried to use his magic on him, but Solomon's strength was greater than his. Azamin was banished from the guild. And since I had only hung around because of my promise to Joy… Riata and I left with him." He rubbed his eye, "For a while, everything was fine. Azamin… he calmed down. He made a promise to us that he'd stop using his magic, and we were happy. We traveled the world together. He…" Kieran ducked his head. "He had become somewhat of a brother to me. He had become kind. And curious. He loved the snow… and chocolate covered bananas…" he chuckled darkly and held his head in his hands.

Natsu's fingers disappeared from Lucy's shoulder. She turned and watched as he backed away and then left the room, closing the door behind him. Her heart ached. She could only imagine what he must be feeling at the moment.

Kieran sighed and lifted his head, "But then… one day we were attacked on the road. They came out of nowhere. They had weapons, and two of them were mages… I… while I was adept in my magic… it was never meant for combat. I was useless in a real fight. Riata used nature magic. She could bend plants to her will. She was able to keep them off for a short while, but then one of them hit her and she was knocked unconscious. At that point… Azamin… he lost it. We had grown so close. He thought of Riata as his sister. And seeing her… on the ground… bleeding from her head… he _snapped_." He looked around the room at everyone. "He used his magic. It might've been okay… if he had used only a small dose… but he _exploded_." He cursed and dug his fingers in his scalp. "I… I… couldn't stop him. He went on a rampage. He… _killed_… _everyone_. And when it was all over… there was no saving him."

He made eye contact with Lucy, "I didn't want to leave him. He had become my brother and I thought that maybe… deep down my little brother still existed. But… then he killed Riata." His single eye turned glossy, "I was gone for the day and when I came back, she…"

Lucy reached out and took his hand. "It's okay," she whispered. "You don't need to tell us the details if you don't want to."

He gulped and nodded. "I never forgave him. I despised what he had become. But… I couldn't force myself to leave. Even after he started kidnapping women and torturing them… I still couldn't leave. I suppose I was dead inside. And yet I still had hope that I could find him again. Deep down… maybe _my _Azamin still lived. I didn't have any point if I didn't have him. So I stayed. And I helped him. I tried to bring him back every single day. I showed him kindness. I showed him love and support…" he lowered his head. "But it wasn't until Lucy that I realized that my hope was futile. Azamin had turned into a creature of his magic. He was meant to be feared." He squeezed Lucy's hand, "I wanted to thank you… and Natsu. Properly this time. Because I feel that… that my Azamin was trapped inside the monster that he became in the shadow of his magic. And when Natsu ended his life, he set him free."

Lucy jerked her head towards the others. Shock was lined in their features, but they said nothing about the bombshell that had just been dropped on them. She turned back to Kieran and smiled softly, "I'll talk to Natsu later. I'm sure he'll be really relieved to hear you say that."

He nodded and then turned back to Makarov.

"After Lucy and Natsu left, I tried to clean up some of the mess that Azamin created. I helped get the other women that he had kidnapped back home. And then when I was done with that… I was pretty lost for a while. I went looking for jobs and managed to get hired in Hargeon working on the docks. But then… I ran into Solomon. Or rather… he found me. He hunted me down like a dog as soon as he found out Azamin had died. I don't know how he knew… or how he found me for that matter… but he captured me, dragged me back to the guild, and tortured me for information." He hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry Lucy. I tried to keep you a secret. But he searched through my fears and found you anyway."

She blinked, "Why was I in your fears?"

"I fear he will find you. I'm terrified that he will do to you what he's done to me."

She leaned forward and touched his cheek, "Thank you."

He stared at her, eye wide. "But… for what?"

She smiled, "You care for me. That's enough to be thankful for." She sat back and he turned his face away.

"I'm the cause for all of this. You shouldn't be thanking me."

"Master," Erza said.

"Hm…" the little old man stroked his mustache. "Tell me, Kieran… would you be willing to donate your body to Fairy Tail?"

He stared at him. "… what?"

"I'm wondering if you'd be willing to lay your life on the line to protect one of my children," his eyes clouded over. "Seeing as this is all your fault after all."

Kieran gulped, "Yes. Yes. I'll do anything I can. I swear it."

Makarov smiled, "Alright then. Let's get started."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay, so I know this chapter is really boring, but it had to be done. Also, Kieran's rambling is really poorly written, but that's because I didn't have a story for him before and so just basically came up with it off the top of my head last second. So... yeah. Omg I'm so exhausted right now. I feel like I've been writing all day, but in reality I wrote a lot this morning, then stopped to wash dishes and watch part of the Grand Magic Games Arc again... and I seriously cried like through three episodes. First when Lucy lost against Flare (I'M STILL PISSED AT HIRO MASHIMA FOR THAT INJUSTICE!) Second at Natsu's speech during the Chariot ride about how the guild persevered without them. And third when Bacchus showed up, just because I love him and it brought happy tears to my eyes to be graced with his drunken presence. Then I wrote some more. And then I stopped when Mom texted me "bring us a pizza hut pizza!" to which I replied, "HUH?" to which SHE replied, "been moving cows all day. we're tired and hungry" to which I replied, "Jeez, is that anyway to invite me over?" Then she boo hoo-ed about how they were going to starve and whatever. So I had to stop writing to go pick her up two large pizzas and drive them thirty minutes out into the country to feed their sorry butts. Then I wrote some more over at their house, but then stopped to videotape Nashi attacking a spider, which she ended up picking up with her mouth just to throw directly in my direction. Yes, I screamed and ran away. (Spiders are my only weakness. Except for Eugene. I love Eugene.) Then I came back home and finished up this chapter, read it to the MOTH for editing purposes, and now I'm writing this. The END.<strong>

**TRACKS!:**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by Uzumaki Naho:<strong>

**"Miles Away" by Memphis May Fire Ft Kellin Quinn (I listened to the acoustic version and thought it was very good)**

* * *

><p><strong>I don't really have any suggestions of my own on this chapter. I probably could find some if I thought it out and browsed my iPod... but my eyelids are too heavy for that nonsense.<strong>

**So I really need to call it a night. Thank you all for your support and reviews and favorites and follows and all that good stuff! I know I've gotten a few messages recently that I haven't replied to and I apologize for that! I always read them when I'm on my phone and it's just suuuuuuuuccchhh a pain to reply on that thing because it will do weird things and mess up my words and blerrrgg. So I'll try to put some time aside for answering messages tomorrow. :) Thanks for everything! I love you all so super much! Remember that you can message me for any reason! Even if I'm a few days late, I will always reply!**

**Love-Moo**


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

"May I talk to him privately?"

Erza and Gray exchanged a look.

"Alright," Erza said, crossing her arms over her chest. "We will stand over here," she pointed to a bench on the other side of the street.

Lucy nodded, "Thank you."

Erza and Gray walked away, Happy flying above them, throwing a worried glance over his shoulder.

Lucy turned to where Natsu sat in the snow on the side of the canal, legs crossed. She took a deep breath and approached him.

"There you are!" she said cheerfully when she was near.

Natsu glanced up at her and then looked at the spot beside him. "Hold on," he said softly.

She hesitated. Natsu held his hands out and fire burst from them. The flames melted the snow away from the cobblestones. He didn't stop his barrage on the ground until the stones had dried completely. He pulled his hands away, snuffing out the flames. He turned forward again and said, "Alright."

Lucy smiled and sat down beside him. The ground was still warm from his fire. She suppressed a moan of pleasure from the warmth on the back of her legs and clasped her hands in her lap. She was silent for a moment… gathering her thoughts.

In the end, Natsu was the one to speak first.

"I didn't regret it," his voice was soft. "I never regretted killing that bastard. I thought he was… I thought he was just pure evil. And the things he did to you… they were unforgivable."

Lucy pursed her lips and peered into the slow water passing before them in the canal.

"I didn't realize he had people that loved him…" he whispered.

Lucy gulped, "Do you regret now?"

He hid his face in his hands, "I don't know! I wish… I wish I could make the decision again! If I could go back, and be faced by him again… would I do anything different? Would I try to save him like I usually do? Or would I kill him again? I don't know! That's the thing!"

"And what if you _did _kill him again?"

He clutched his hair despairingly, "Nng… I don't _know_! I… I guess that'd make me a bad person… wouldn't it? Oh God…" he pulled his knees up to his chest. "I'm a monster! I… I'm a murderer!"

Lucy leaned back on the palms of her hands and turned her face to the sky. She smiled gently and closed her eyes, "I'm relieved."

He jerked his head towards her, "Wh-what?"

She looked at him, "I'm relieved that your heart is so powerful that you can mourn the death of a man you once felt nothing but the purest of hatred for." She reached over and brushed a lock of pink hair from his forehead. "You have this amazing ability, Natsu. You bring happiness wherever you go. You make others feel comfortable and wanted. Yours is the kindest heart I've ever met."

Tears filled his eyes, "But… you told me… that you were ashamed that I killed him for you. And the fact that I didn't regret it was the only reason you felt better. Now if I regret it… I… I don't want you to hurt again! Because… even if it was the wrong choice, it was still my choice!" he climbed to his knees and turned towards her. He clutched his heart with his right hand and threw his left out wide. "Please! Don't say these nice things to me right now like I'm so important! It's my fault that you ever started hurting in the first place! I'm scum! I'm worthless! I don't deserve your kindn—"

Lucy threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him tight against her. She buried her right hand in the pink hair at the back of his head and rested her lips against his forehead. His words died in his throat. His heart sped a million beats a second in his chest.

"Don't ever say that again," she said. "You are _not_ worthless, Natsu. Promise me you'll never think that you are _ever_ again."

"I…"

"_Promise me_."

He sniffed and clutched her tightly, "I pr-promise."

She hugged him tighter, "It doesn't matter if you regret or not. Because I've already made the decision to stand by you no matter what. I'm going to support you every step of the way from here on out."

"Th-that doesn't make me feel any better," he rubbed his nose on her shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut. "So now you'll carry some of the blame whenever I fuck up!"

She laughed and rubbed his back, "No. Because I know that you are incapable of making mistakes when you listen to your heart. I believe in you. And I will continue to believe in you forever."

Natsu was silent for a moment, "I killed him out of my hatred. I brutally murdered a man without even considering the possibility that someone would miss him. I'm not someone you should believe in."

Lucy pulled back and stared at him in the eyes, smoothing her fingers over the tear tracks down his cheeks. "You left too soon back there," she said softly. "Kieran wanted to thank you. For freeing Azamin from the monster he had become."

Natsu's eyes grew wide.

She smiled, "See? That's what's so great about you, Natsu. You save people without even realizing it. Do you understand how incredible of a gift that is?" she kissed his temple. "I'm so proud of you. Please don't be sad anymore."

He collapsed against her, burying his face in her shoulder as the tears poured from his eyes. She held him close, combing her fingers through his hair as his sobs racked his body. From their place across the street, Erza and Gray watched quietly.

Happy, sitting on Erza's lap, sniffed and rubbed his nose on his paw.

"I haven't seen Natsu cry like this since the Grand Magic Games when the other Lucy…"

Erza patted his head, "Even the strongest deserve to cry when things get too hard."

"Aye," Happy said quietly.

* * *

><p>"As it turns out," Makarov said over his mug of beer to Mirajane, "Kieran is also a takeover mage."<p>

"Is he really?" Mirajane filled Wakaba's mug, skipped over Macao, and then filled Max's.

"Hmhm," Makarov took a long drink and then sat the draft down, wiping the excess liquid from his mustache. "His magic is different from yours though. He can take over the appearance of whomever he chooses, and also lend his appearance to others. He also gets a look into the mind of whoever he is imitating, but cannot use their magic."

"Sounds like he'd make a powerful spy," Macao said, thrusting his mug towards Mirajane once more, who ignored him effortlessly.

"Which is exactly what I've made him in to," the master agreed.

"What'd you do with him?" Wakaba asked.

"I sent him on a search," he replied. "For that bastard, Solomon. He's an arrogant son of a bitch, but he won't be hiding in broad daylight, especially now that we know his identity. Kieran will investigate Empty Ark's known hideouts. I've had Warren set up a link with him to keep up communication."

"That sounds like a pretty gritty job, Master," Max said. "Are you sure he can handle it on his own?"

"Everyone in Fairy Tail is too well known around Fiore," Makarov said. "Anyone I sent with him would be too conspicuous. It had to be a solo job."

"Well…" Wakaba puffed on his cigar. "Can't say I'm not relieved that I don't have his job."

"All we can do is wish him luck and stay on our guard," Mirajane observed.

The men grunted their agreement.

* * *

><p>The weeks ticked by and Natsu finally reverted back to his normal age.<p>

"It feels good to be big and bad again!" he shouted, fire popping out of his mouth. He stood on a table in the guild hall. "GRAY! LET'S FIGHT!"

"Aw…" the ice mage leaned back in his chair, wearing nothing but his boxers. "I literally _just _sat down."

"RAAAAAHHH!" the dragon slayer vaulted from the table and slammed into his comrade. They both crashed to the floor. Flames and ice chunks started flying.

Lucy chuckled from her spot next to Wendy at the bar.

"Leave it to Natsu to lighten the mood," Mirajane giggled.

Lucy glanced at her, "It's what he does best." Her face fell and she averted her eyes to the counter.

"Say Lucy…" Wendy said. "Is there something wrong?"

"Hm? Oh… no. I'm fine." She stood suddenly, "I'm going to go talk to Levy about a book she let me borrow…" she walked away.

Mirajane sighed.

Wendy turned to the white haired barmaid, "She's worried about Kieran, isn't she?"

"It would seem so," she answered. "Master told us that he hasn't found Solomon anywhere. He said he only has one more hideout to check. If he isn't there… then we'll be back to square one."

"And then we will just have to wait until he makes the first move…" Wendy murmured.

A loud crash sounded from behind and they jerked their heads towards it. Natsu and Gray's fight had rolled right into Lucy's path, unfortunately for them.

"_GET OUTTA MY WAY_!" the celestial spirit mage roared and delivered a kick to Gray's face, sending him soaring across the guild hall. She didn't spare Natsu. She punched the pink haired guy so hard in the chest that when he went flying, he took out Nab _and _Warren.

Sweat dripped down Wendy's temple, "I sure hope Kieran finds him soon. Lucy's one explosion away from killing Natsu and Gray…"

Mirajane giggled, "Isn't she just lovely?"

"Yeah…"

* * *

><p>"Alright team," Erza stood at the entrance of the guild hall. "Let's turn in for the night."<p>

"Awww!" Natsu slammed Macao's arm to the table, enticing a groan from the older man as he lost yet again in the arm wrestling tournament that had started up among all of the Fairy Tail men. "But I'm gonna win!"

"Dream on, idiot," Gray said. "There's no way you're gonna beat Elfman," the ice mage massaged his mutilated hand. "The guy even knocked Laxus out of the running," he jerked his thumb towards the scarily brooding lightning dragon slayer drinking at a table across the hall.

"Beat the guy that beat Laxus and that jerk will never live it down!" Natsu cackled and ran up to Elfman, "_ELFMAN! FIGHT ME!_"

Lucy yawned and joined Erza at the door with Happy, Carla, and Wendy. "C'mon, Natsu. I'm exhausted…"

Without a word of complaint, Natsu turned and ran to the door. "GRAY!" he yelled. "RACE YOU HOME!"

"Forget it!" Gray gathered up his missing clothes and walked leisurely up to the others. "Why does everything have to be a competition with you?"

They headed out into the night, waving as everyone called out a hearty "Good night!"

"See ya tomorrow!" Natsu grinned and saluted.

Outside, Lucy threw her arms out wide and let out a deep breath, "Ahh, it actually feels nice out here, don't you think?"

"Totally," Gray nodded with a smile. "This is definitely my kind of weather."

"I'm surprised," Wendy said, pulling her jacket tight around her. "I've never seen it snow so much here."

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Erza smiled.

Lucy walked ahead of the others, hands clasped behind her back. She kicked at the snow gently. She had been trying not to worry these past few weeks. Natsu was back to normal, everyone in the guild was safe and healthy. They patrolled the city every night in search of anything suspicious… she sighed. She hoped Kieran was doing alright.

Natsu caught up with her. He looked down at her solemn expression and instantly unwrapped the scarf from around his neck. He dropped it around her shoulders, shaking her from her trance. She looked up at him as he tied it around her neck cheerfully.

"What're you doing?" she smiled.

He grinned his signature grin, "What's it look like?"

"It looks like you're tying your scarf around my throat," she said.

"Yup!"

"Why?"

He cocked his head.

"I'm not cold," she pointed out. "I'm wearing warm clothes," she gestured down at her jeans and boots. "My jacket keeps me warm enough."

He deliberated for a second before grinning again, eyes squinting shut. "I guess I just like the way it looks on you!"

Her heart jumped. "You… like the way it looks on me?"

He nodded, "Mhm! In fact… you might as well wear it all the time. I think it suits you."

"But it's your special scarf. Your most prized possession."

"Hmmmm," he rubbed his chin, staring forward. "That might be true… then how about this," he grinned down at her. "Why don't you be mine? Then _you'll _be my most prized possession and it'll only be natural that you wear it!"

Lucy's cheeks ignited, "WH-WHAT?"

He laughed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I guess that's kind of a weird thing to say… isn't it?" His cheeks turned pink and he cleared his throat.

Lucy twiddled her hands together, "Well… I mean… it's not _that _weird. I suppose. If you think about it…"

"Huh?"

"Uhh… I mean… it's just…" They both averted their eyes and shuffled their feet. Lucy peeked up at him discreetly. His face was bright red and he was rubbing the scar on his throat nervously.

Erza and Gray's voices rose as they started to argue about something.

Lucy glanced back at them and then to Natsu again. A sudden spurt of confidence jolted up her spine.

"Okay," she said, lifting a fist. "How about we make a bet out of it?"

"A bet?"

"Yep!" she grinned up at him. "If you can catch me, I'll be yours forever. If you _don't _catch me, then you'll never have me."

Natsu stared wide-eyed down at her, heart doing somersaults in his chest. His mouth dried up and his face blazed brighter than any flame he could ever create.

Lucy winked and then ran ahead of him. She ran a short distance and then turned around, walking backwards. She laughed at Natsu's thunderstruck expression and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well?" she called. "Are you going to accept my bet, or what?"

"Lucy…" loving, untouchable heat spread all over his body. He would catch her. He would make her his for all of eternity. She said it herself. Was he awake? Was he in some kind of beautiful, unbelievable, dream? He smiled, "Alright! I'll definitely catch—"

The words died in his mouth.

In the blink of an eye, a man had appeared directly behind Lucy.

"Azamin—" Natsu choked out the whisper.

"Natsu?" Lucy cocked her head to the side.

But his eyes were locked on the space behind her. She started to slowly turn.

The man with the silver hair and bright green eyes smirked and reached his hand out towards the young blonde before him.

"_LUCY_!" Natsu lunged forward, hand stretching towards her.

His cry drew the attention of the others, who turned in their direction. Erza instantly requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor.

Lucy turned and her eyes grew wide.

"Hello Lucy Heartfilia," Solomon said, grin stretching the taut skin of his cheeks wide.

"Aza—"

"_AAAAAUGH!_" Flames burst from the palm of Natsu's left hand, boosting him forward.

Solomon's hand latched onto Lucy's shoulder just as Natsu's fingers brushed his wrist.

The space around them caved in on itself and Erza, Wendy, Gray, Happy, and Carla stood staring at an empty road.

"_NATSU_!" Happy flew to where his friend had just stood. "_LUCY_! _NATSU_! _WHERE ARE YOU_?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Wow. I'm turning into a loser, aren't I? Remember the good ol' days when I'd update every single day without fail? Ah yes. The golden years. Now I'm a lazy loser that stares at the screen of the computer for five minutes before surrendering and playing two hours of Solitaire on my phone. <strong>

**Today it was actually pretty funny. Picole and I snapchat every single day, despite living literally one foot from each other. Earlier we went to some Mary Kay thing where we sit in a little room with a lady that shows us makeup and has us apply some and all that good crap... which is basically hell for me. It's not like I'm opposed to wearing makeup. In fact, I wear it. But... I don't wear a lot because not only do I not really leave the house or associate with other human beings, but I'm also really stinkin' bad at it. So the lady had us choose colors and then she'd do one eye for us and then we had to do the other eye, and Picole, being the graceful, gorgeous bitch that she is, applied hers flawlessly in a cat-eye lookin' dealio. And then I basically gave myself a black eye. That's the gist of it. Maybe purple was a bad choice. Also maybe it was a bad choice to give me power over putting things on my face. And then the blush looked hellish. And the lips looked like I had torn the throat out of a bunny for breakfast. **

**ANYWAY... afterwards, Picole went to class and I went home to try and get some of this chapter typed up. Later, Picole was snapchatting me about how disgustingly productive she is. So around four-ish she sent a snapchat of herself in exercise clothes and was like "Off to spinning class!" and then I replied to her in my pajamas, lipstick smeared over my chin, cat on my chest, and said, "Off to take a nap"**

**Which I did. And I didn't get up until nine. Because I'm an adult and that's what adults do all day. Sleep, eat, and play Solitaire.**

**What am I doing with my life? Writing fanfiction. THAT'S what I'm doing with my life. And I'm oddly okay with that.**

**Okay, moving on.**

**TRACKS:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Hazy" by Rosi Golan<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Hanging On" by Active Child<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Distraction" by Angels and Airwaves<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"That's Okay" by The Hush Sound<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Fix You" by Coldplay<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"I Think I'm in Love" by Justin Nozuka (This song goes more along with when Natsu first started realizing he was in love with Lucy. It's such a sweet song, I don't know how I just barely remembered it.)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Well that's all! I hope you guys like the chapter. I love you all soooooooooo much! Remember that you can message me for any reason, any time! I'll always answer!<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58

"I can't reach either of them!" Warren held his fingers up to his forehead.

"_TRY HARDER_!" Erza roared, slamming the palms of her hands down on the table the telepathy mage sat at.

"I'm trying!" he closed his eyes.

Erza whirled around, "Master! What do we do?"

A shadow fell over Makarov's eyes. His fingers clutched his draft so hard that the wood cracked.

Erza gulped and turned away. How could she let this happen? Her only job was to watch out for Lucy and prevent her from being taken by that monster. She had failed. She was a failure. She didn't deserve to be called Lucy's friend. She reached up and covered her face in her hands.

Happy was crying in Wendy's arms. "How could we forget?" he whispered. "Azamin had teleportation abilities. That's what Lucy reminded us of over and over again on that very first mission… that's why he slipped through our fingers in the first place! How could we forget?"

"It's okay Happy," Wendy said. "It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault. He caught us _all _by surprise."

"Gray-sama…" Juvia stared at the ice mage. He was sitting alone at the counter, back turned to everyone else.

"Well…" Macao sighed and rubbed his forehead, "At least the boy is with her. And back to his full power too."

"But will that be enough?" Wakaba puffed on his cigar. "This guy was powerful enough to affect Master Makarov. And Natsu… he's an emotional SOB. Who _knows _what that bastard can show that guy…"

"Warren," Makarov said. "Forget it. Call Kieran immediately."

"Aye Sir."

Warren connected his mind to Kieran's. _Kieran, this is Warren. Can you hear me?_

There was a short delay, and then the man's gravelly voice came.

_Yes. What is it_?

_Lucy and Natsu have been kidnapped by Solomon._

There was a longer delay.

_When?_

_Less than an hour ago._

"Anything?" Erza asked.

Warren nodded.

_Alright listen_, Kieran's voice was tight, hurried. _I'm almost to the final hideout. He wasn't at any of the others, but that doesn't mean he won't be there now. I need you to send out teams to each and every hideout. Knowing Solomon, he won't kill her right away. He will want to play with her first. We have two days at most. But…_

_But what?_

_He won't kill Lucy immediately, but I can't say the same about Natsu. We need to find him as soon as possible. I'll send a map of the hideouts. Send the teams immediately._

Warren started drawing out the map as soon as Kieran sent the image to his head. He turned to Makarov and handed the paper over. "We need to send teams to each location," he explained.

"EVERYONE GATHER AROUND!" Makarov roared and the entire guild jumped to obey.

"LISTEN UP!" he stood on the table, holding the map above his head. "TWO OF OUR OWN HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM US. AND NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME. FAIRY TAIL ISN'T GOING TO STAND FOR THIS! WE WILL COLLECT OUR FAMILY AND PUNISH EVERYONE THAT BELIEVED THEY WERE INVINCIBLE ENOUGH TO MESS WITH OUR GUILD!"

The guild erupted in cheers.

"NOW! I WILL SPLIT YOU UP INTO TEAMS TO TAKE THESE BASTARDS BY STORM! FIRST! ERZA, JUVIA, GRAY, WENDY, CARLA, AND HAPPY. YOU WILL AID KIERAN. NEXT, ELFMAN, MIRAJANE…"

* * *

><p>With a single crushing blow, Solomon sent Natsu flying.<p>

He let out a cry as his back smashed against the jagged stones beneath him. He rolled and slid and then jumped into a crouching position. He wiped the blood that dripped down from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Well," Solomon's arm snaked around Lucy's collarbone as she stood, frozen. "I wasn't expecting a leach to come along too…"

"_DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HER_!" Natsu leapt to his feet and lunged towards them.

"Hush," Solomon waved his hand and the dragon slayer immediately crashed to the ground, screaming.

Lucy snapped out of her trance. "NATSU!" she grabbed her keys.

Solomon's hand twisted around hers, wrenching the keys from her grasp, snapping her wrist in a fluid motion.

Lucy screamed in pain as he held the keys up, "Hmmm…" he examined them curiously. "A celestial spirit mage, eh?" He jerked his hand to the left, sending the keys flying into a decrepit fountain across the crumbling garden in which they stood.

Lucy tore away from him, delivering a kick between his legs. Solomon cried out and collapsed to his knees. Lucy ran to Natsu, falling at his side as he writhed and screamed on the ground.

"Natsu…" she grabbed at his head with her good hand. "I'm here. I'm here!"

"St-stupid bitch…" Solomon choked out. "To resort to such… _dirty_ means…"

Lucy pulled her whip from her belt. She wasn't used to using the weapon with her left hand, but it'd have to do for now. At least until she could get to her keys again. Looking back, that's where she should have gone first. But her heart had taken over and she had immediately run to Natsu.

She stood and faced Solomon, right hand hanging uselessly at her side. "Take your magic off of him." Her voice was low and dripping venom.

The silver haired man stood shakily, letting out a laugh. "Oh, I'm _so _scared of you." His grin turned maniacal, "Shall I return the favor?"

His green eyes slowly started to fill with black liquid. Lucy gasped. Solomon's mouth unhinged, dropping his chin down to touch his throat. Long, spindly black legs crept over his tongue and probed the outside air. Her heart twisted in her chest as adrenaline soured the back of her mouth. The legs hooked around his cheeks and suddenly she could see glowing red eyes deep in the back of his throat.

Lucy's knees knocked together, "St-stop… stop it…"

Solomon's body ballooned and exploded, showering the garden with blood.

She screamed and fell to her knees. A black widow, the size of a horse, stood in the slimy entrails of the fear mage. It tapped at the ground with its thin, reflective legs, fangs clicking together. It drew closer, producing a horrible groaning sound from deep within its rounded abdomen.

Tears streamed down Lucy's cheeks, "Stop! Stop! PLEASE! Stop!"

A scream behind her drew her attention momentarily. Lucy's eyes glazed over as Natsu's cries of fear penetrated her mind. The tears stopped flowing. Lucy calmly gained her feet, lifting her whip. She cracked it and sent it flying forward. The leather sliced through the spider, breaking the illusion. Solomon cried out as a thin scratch opened up on his cheek from the whip's slash.

He stepped back, "How… how did you come out of that?"

Lucy pulled her whip back and gave him a menacing glare, "I heard the voice of my friend. Your pathetic illusions are powerless."

"Think so, huh?" he hissed. "I should've known better than to use a second rate fear against the bitch that killed my brother."

"It's pointless," she sent the whip soaring in his direction again, hitting him across the chest this time, ripping open his shirt. "Throw whatever you want at me. It'll never work."

"Don't get all high and mighty," he said through gritted teeth. "Breaking one illusion is nothing to brag over. How about I find out what you fear _most _in this world?"

Lucy let out a roar and ran towards him, slicing at him with her whip.

Solomon held his hand out towards her. She gasped as jagged pain burst through her head. It felt like he was digging through her mind with a rusty rake. The pain was so immense, that her eyes went blind with white and she stumbled to her knees, landing on her broken wrist. She screamed into the ground.

"Lucy!"

Her eyes cleared momentarily. Loke stood in the center of the fountain, key ring in hand. He ran to the edge and jumped out, dripping water from his wet pant legs.

"Bastard!" his hands started to glow. "Regulus _Impact_!" he shot out an intense stream of light but Solomon disappeared before it could hit its mark. He reappeared directly behind Loke, spinning as he delivered a kick to the spirit's side, sending him flying to the right.

"We can't have anybody interrupting our fun, now can we?" Solomon shouted.

Suddenly, a horde of thirty men filled the garden.

"Keep this trash from _interrupting my fun_!" he screeched, voice turning hysterical.

Loke was overwhelmed. He cried out as the men swarmed around him.

"Loke!" Lucy climbed to her knees, ignoring the jolting pain shooting up her wrist.

"Not so fast," Solomon turned towards her and the raking agony soared through her mind again.

She screamed.

"LUCY!" Natsu's eyes focused at the sound of her screams. He lifted his head and stared across the garden. At the sight of the blonde writhing on the ground, his body caught fire. Solomon was approaching her, mouth stretched wide in a sharp toothed grin.

Fury gripped his mind and Natsu pushed to his feet.

"_DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HER!_" He lunged forward and smashed a flaming fist against the man's crazed face. Solomon flew backwards and Natsu placed himself between him and Lucy.

"Natsu!" Loke called.

Natsu flicked his eyes to the celestial spirit fighting off the other mages.

He looked back to Solomon as the man gained his feet once more, "I'll take care of this asshole, Loke. You just keep doing what you're doing."

"Aye Sir."

"_You think this is a fucking game_?" Solomon shrieked.

"_SHUT UP_!" Natsu straightened. "You hurt Lucy! _Prepare to die_!"

"Tch," Solomon's eye twitched. "Don't pretend like you have power here." He lifted his hand. "I'll show you true fear."

Natsu braced himself for whatever the man had in store for him.

Lucy stood and walked around the dragon slayer.

"Lucy!" he reached for her, but she dodged his groping hand. She walked towards Solomon and then stopped, turning towards Natsu. Her eyes were dead.

"L-Lucy…" he stepped towards her.

"Shut up," she hissed. Solomon walked up behind her. She lifted a hand and he dropped a knife into her open palm.

"Farewell, Dear," he whispered and stepped back again.

Lucy gripped the handle of the knife, blade pointed towards her. Without a moment's hesitation, she plunged it deep into her chest. Blood bubbled up around the blade and pooled down her shirt.

"_LUCY!_" Natsu ran forward.

She pulled the blade from her chest and then held it to her throat.

"NO!"

With a strong flick of her wrist, she sliced deep into the skin.

Natsu flew through the illusion and slammed his fist into Solomon's chin. The man crashed to his back on the ground.

Natsu stood, panting, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Don't you _DARE_! Illusion or not… _don't you dare tarnish my Lucy_!"

"Tch," Solomon wiped the blood from his chin. "How annoying…"

He disappeared from his spot and then suddenly reappeared next to Natsu, surprising a jump out of him. Solomon slammed his foot into the dragon slayer's neck, throwing him back.

From her spot on the ground, Lucy lifted her heavy head. The pain shooting through her mind didn't stop. Flashes of images soared through her eyes. Gray being devoured by Deliora. Erza sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Wendy crying over the body of Carla. Happy with wings ripped from his back. The guild on fire and riddled with the inert bodies of her family. Her keys… lying shattered on the ground before her…

_Ah ha_.

Lucy blinked slowly as the voice sounded in her head.

_Here we are…_ Solomon turned towards her, grin taking up half of his face. _Your greatest fear…_

Natsu jumped to his feet and leapt at the man, roaring, hands flaming.

A dark green blade that dripped liquid shadows materialized in Solomon's hand and he turned towards the dragon slayer.

"Natsu… _no…_" Lucy choked out.

They swiped at each other, neither laying a blow on the other for long seconds as they danced across the garden.

"N-no…" Lucy climbed shakily to her knees. "Your illusions won't work on me!" she shrieked. "Just stop! Just _STOP_!"

Solomon disappeared and reappeared behind Natsu, slamming his foot into the dragon slayer's back, sending him flying into the trees. He turned to Lucy.

"Whoever said anything about an illusion?" he grinned. "Don't you think it's so much more delicious if it's _real_?"

"What are you…"

"BASTARD!" Natsu came soaring out of the cover of the trees, fist cocked.

Solomon disappeared again, reappearing at Natsu's back.

"Damn it," Natsu tried to turn, but he was too slow.

Solomon's blade embedded itself deep into Natsu's spine and burst through his chest.

Lucy let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Natsu peered down at the blade, blood bubbling out of his mouth. It slipped down his chin and dripped off. The blade suddenly widened, grew spikes with ragged edges. Solomon ripped the weapon out of Natsu's body, leaving a gaping hole, and he dropped to the ground.

"NATSU!" Loke roared, shoving a mage off of him.

_No…_ Lucy's heart stopped. _Loke can see it_? _No… isn't it an illusion? It's an illusion. It has to be…_ She pushed shakily to her feet, eyes plastered on the inert dragon slayer. "Natsu… _NATSU_!" she ran to him, stumbling to her knees when she was near. She reached out and grabbed his shoulders. She screamed when her hands made contact.

They… made… contact.

No. She wasn't supposed to be able to touch illusions. Her hands were supposed to go straight through him. Why wasn't… why wasn't she going right through him?

Solomon chuckled and stepped backwards. "How does it taste?" he whispered.

Lucy rolled Natsu over onto his back. Her eyes ran over the ragged hole in his chest and she quickly covered her mouth to suppress her sob. She looked into his face. His mouth was open, eyes squeezed shut. She leaned down, holding her ear over his mouth. Breath, shallow and fast, was still darting through his lips.

"Natsu," she pulled back. "_NATSU_! OPEN YOUR EYES! OPEN THEM RIGHT NOW!" she grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "YOU CAN'T JUST DIE! STOP IT!" her voice cracked. "STOP IT _RIGHT NOW_!"

Slowly, his eyelids peeled up. His golden eyes were dull, lifeless. "L-Lucy…"

She choked on a gasping sob, "Natsu… stop it… please… stop it…"

"I'm sorry," he whispered and coughed. Blood spurted down his chin. "I'm sorry. I… didn't mean to make you cry…"

She shoved the tears from her cheeks and leaned over him, "You're going to be okay. Listen to me. Natsu. Look at me!" his eyes met hers. "Stop! You're going to be okay!"

"Lucy…" his hand twitched at his side and she quickly grabbed it, fingers slipping on the blood covering it. "Please…"

The pain in Lucy's chest was unbearable, she gasped and panted through her sobs, "N-N-Natsu… you're going to be okay. Please… please be okay…"

His other hand lifted slowly and reached up towards her face.

"Lucy… I need you to run. Get out of here." His hand brushed her cheek.

"STOP!" she grabbed his hand and held it tight against her face. "Stop! You can't die! You just _can't_!"

"Go. Go back to the guild. Be safe…"

"No! I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to—"

"NO! I refuse! I won't leave you! I'll never leave you!"

"You _have to live_," his voice hardened suddenly. "If you don't… then what was the point of this?"

Lucy could barely see through her tears, "But… what am I supposed to do without you?" her voice quivered.

He coughed up more blood and squeezed his eyes shut.

Lucy reached down and touched his cheek, "Don't," she whispered. "Please don't. I… can't do this without you."

Loke let out a cry as one of the mages finished him off with a blast of darkness through his chest. The spirit faded away, apologizing softly to his sobbing Mistress.

"Go," Natsu said. His voice was rough. "Live for me. Promise you will."

"I _can't_," she insisted, clutching his hand tighter. "I need you to come with me!"

His eyebrows quivered lower over his darkening golden eyes, "I wish I could…"

It felt like Lucy's chest was ripping open. As if she shared the weeping wound that was sapping his life out right from under her.

"LUCY!"

She jerked her head up at the sound of the voice.

"Aw," Solomon pouted. "Look who decided to crash the party." He shrugged, "Guess I'll take my leave." He disappeared.

Erza ran up, dressed in her Purgatory armor. Gray and Juvia went straight to the group of mages, shooting water and ice left and right.

Wendy chased after Erza, with Carla and Happy flying above.

"WENDY!" Lucy's eyes went wide. "WENDY HELP!" she looked down at Natsu, "Look! Natsu! Wendy's here! She's going to help you! She's going to save you. You're going to be alright!"

He smiled softly, blood dripping down his cheek.

"Natsu…" Erza stood over them, eyes saucers in her head. Her body shook.

Wendy fell to her knees beside Natsu. She instantly held her hands over the hole in his chest. A pale glow radiated from her hands and she closed her eyes.

"It's going to be okay," Lucy nodded, stroking Natsu's bloodstained hair from his forehead. "You're going to be fine."

"Where…" Erza's voice trembled. "Where is Solomon."

"He's gone…" Lucy's voice was soft. "He left…"

"NATSU!" Happy dropped to the ground next to his head. He covered his mouth with his paws as tears poured from his eyes.

"Hey," Natsu smiled at him, "None of that, Buddy."

"But…"

"Oh no…"

Everyone looked to Wendy as the little girl made the gasp. She dragged her eyes up to Lucy. They turned glossy and the glow faded from her hands.

"I…" her chin quivered. "I'm sorry…"

"What?" Lucy's heart turned to a stone in her aching chest. "_What_?"

Wendy sat back and covered her face, "I'm sorry! There's nothing I can do! He's… he's already…"

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO?_" Lucy screamed. She looked back down at Natsu. "You have to! Wendy! Please! _PLEASE_!"

"Lucy," Natsu squeezed her hand. "It's okay. I'm fine."

"No!" she dropped his hand and held his face, "NO! You can't die! You have to fight it! I won't let you just leave me!"

Erza ducked her head. A shadow fell over her face as she squeezed her hands into fists. Her entire body started to shake.

"I'm sorry," Natsu's eyes went hazy. "Sorry. Sorry… so sorry…"

Her chest was ripping open. Happy was a trembling mass of sobbing hysteria beside her. Lucy couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe…

"I need you to go," Natsu squeezed his eyes shut. "_Please_. For me. Live."

"I… I- I c-can't…"

"Don't come back here…" his voice was drifting away from her. She could barely catch his words. "Please. Stay safe."

She couldn't speak. Couldn't speak and couldn't breathe.

Natsu smiled up at her. He reached a shaking hand up and touched the scarf tied around her neck. "It suits you," he whispered. "Wear it for me, okay?"

"St-stop…" she pleaded. "Natsu you can't go. You still haven't caught me, remember?" she choked on her sobs and desperately shoved the tears from her cheeks. "I was supposed to be yours. You were supposed to catch me and we were supposed to be together forever. Remember?"

He touched her cheek, "It's okay." He coughed and groaned, brows knitting together. He smoothed them again and whispered, "I've always been yours anyway."

"No… no, no, no, no, no…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "No… please…"

"Erza," Natsu said.

The woman lifted her head, revealing the tear tracks down her cheeks. She bit her lip to keep her chin from trembling.

Natsu smiled, "Please take her home. Protect her. For me."

She nodded, "Yes."

"Erza!" Gray shouted. "We need to get out of here, NOW!"

More and more mages flooded the gardens, brandishing weapons and magic with roars.

Wendy leapt to her feet and quickly scooped Happy into her arms, much to the cat's devastated dismay. "Natsu!" he cried. "NATSU!"

"Go," Natsu demanded.

"I can't leave you here!" Lucy exclaimed. "You're coming with us!"

"No."

"You _have to_!"

"Lucy," Erza grabbed Lucy's arms and hauled her to her feet, "Respect Natsu's wishes. We must go."

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak. She couldn't… she couldn't…

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and let out an earth shaking scream. The air around her turned cold and heavy. Erza gasped as everything darkened and then millions of bright lights burst all around. She jerked her head up and watched with wide eyes as tremendous orbs of light toppled from the heavens and plummeted to the ground. They crashed all around the enemy mages, taking them out in a single crushing explosion until not a single one stood in the garden.

The life fled from Lucy's eyes and she collapsed, unconscious in Erza's arms. The woman hoisted her up, reeling from what she just witnessed.

"Erza!" Gray and Juvia ran to her and Wendy. "What about Natsu?" he looked over his shoulder, eyes falling on the body lying in a pool of blood on the ground, eyes closed. Gray froze, mouth drying up.

"C'mon!" a husky voice screamed from across the garden as even more mages flooded in. "Let's get 'em!"

"We have to go," Erza turned, fresh tears trailing down her cheeks.

Carla grabbed Wendy and flew the sobbing girl up into the air as she hugged Happy to her chest.

Gray gulped and turned forward. He quickly wiped his eyes. Juvia watched him silently, biting back her own cries for their fallen comrade.

"C'mon, Juvia," Gray said quietly and they followed Erza out of the garden.

* * *

><p>"Shit," a man shouted and kicked at a rock, sending it skittering across the ground. "They got away."<p>

"Whatever," another stacked his hands behind his head and turned back towards the gate of the gardens. "Let's just go home already." He glanced down at the mess of bodies lying on the cobblestones and made a face, "I'll tell you one thing. No way am I cleanin' this mess up."

"Same here. We'll let the next batch take care of it."

The mages cleared out of the garden. The cool air blew through the trees and ruffled the hair of a certain pink haired figure lying still in the center of it all. The only sound was the soft crunching of footsteps emerging from the trees off to the side of the garden.

The feet hesitated, and then slowly walked across the path to the body. The stranger crouched beside the pink haired man and reached out.

The body moved, just barely. The man held his hand still for a moment. The pink haired man below him cracked his right eye open, revealing a pale blue eye.

"You didn't have to do that, you know." The man above him whispered.

He sighed, features morphing and changing. His chin elongated and dusted with prickly scruff. The pink mop on his head darkened to short brown hair. His body widened and lengthened.

"It was for the best," Kieran muttered and coughed, spitting even more blood onto his chin.

Natsu sighed and covered his eyes with his hand, "Dumbass… I could've taken him…"

"The second he realized her greatest fear," he let out a deep boggy breath, "he was never going to let you live."

"But still! I could've—"

"Shut up."

Natsu clamped his mouth shut and stared down at the man.

"I know what it's like to lose your most cherished person," Kieran mumbled. "I couldn't stand to see her go through the same thing…"

"Like hell! She believes I'm dead now! She's gone through exactly what you were trying to protect her from!"

Kieran opened his eye and stared up at him, "But you're still alive. And Solomon thinks you're dead as well."

"But…"

"You don't have much time."

Natsu gulped.

"While he thinks you are dead… kill him. And return to her."

Natsu covered his eyes again as tears started to pool out of them. "You shouldn't have done it…"

"Why not? So you could be in my place right now?" Kieran coughed again. "Don't waste too much time. As soon as Lucy is finished mourning, she will seek revenge."

The thought of Lucy under the control of that monster chilled Natsu's insides. His eyes clouded over, "I'll kill him before she has the chance."

Kieran nodded, face twisting up in pain.

Natsu gulped and reached down. He grasped the other man's hand in both of his. "Thank you…" he whispered. "For saving me. For giving me a second chance."

Kieran stared up at him.

Natsu's eyes turned glossy, "I'm sorry."

He smiled and squeezed his hand, "Don't feel sad for me, dragon slayer." His eye slid shut. "I'm off to meet my family." He sighed, "I wonder… if they've missed me…"

Natsu leaned his forehead on Kieran's shoulder and sobbed into the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

***sits back and prepares for the angry mob to come bursting through my door and burn me at the stake***

**HEY, it could've been worse. I was planning on ending it right after they fled the garden. Then you could believe that Natsu was actually dead! Would that have been better?!**

**Anyway... Oh man. Death scenes are super hard to write. Especially when you're trying to make them all sad and stuff... I think I might've stretched it on a little long. The MOTH said it was sad enough, so oh well. This also took about ALL day to write. I started around noonish, took a break around three, and then started up again around six. So that's about six hours of writing one chapter. It's just so hard!**

**I hope you guys aren't mad at me for the drama llama in the hizz-ouse. I have a lot of music today. Because I love sad music the very most. Meh heh heh heh**

**Here ya go.**

**TRACKS:**

* * *

><p><strong>"You're the Reason I Come Home" by Ron Pope<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Let Me Go" by Ron Pope<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Run For Your Life" by The Fray<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Little Do You Know" by Alex &amp; Sierra<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"How it Ends" by DeVotchka<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Heron Blue" by Sun Kil Moon<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"First Defeat" by Noah Gunderson<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Hurricane" by The Hush Sound<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Here Comes the Flood" by Peter Gabriel<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"Say Something" by A Great Big World (the version without Christina Aguilera because I think she detracts from the original emotions and also because I hate her.)<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by Uzumaki Naho:<strong>

**"Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls or the cover by Sleeping With Sirens (I. Love. this. song. In fact, I was going to put this one down anyway before you even suggested it. Except I was only going to suggest the original, because that was all I had heard. The Sleeping with Sirens version is beautiful too though! I think I'll still always prefer the original just because that's what I grew up listening to. But I think anyone could sing this gorgeous song and it would always be spectacular no matter what! EEEEEEEE!)**

* * *

><p><strong>Anyway, I'll take applications for murdering me now. ;)<strong>

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to read, even though I'm sure you're pissed about this chapter. Seriously guys... it could've been worse.**

**Love-Moo**


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Lucy pulled her white thigh highs up her legs silently. Happy watched from the dining table as she slipped on her knee high black boots and then stood. She turned to the one armed jacket hanging over the back of a wooden chair. She stared at it for a few seconds before reaching out and gently running her fingers over the worn fabric. She lifted the jacket and held it to her face for long seconds, inhaling the lingering scent of campfire and crisp pine needles.

Happy looked away as the sounds of Lucy's pain formed into sobs.

_"Did you get a new outfit_?_" Natsu sat down across from Lucy at the table. The guild hall was quiet that morning as everyone ate breakfast and tried their hardest to wake up from the drunken stupor they had fallen into the night before._

_"Yeah!" Lucy grinned, surprised that the usually oblivious dragon slayer had noticed. She held her arms out, showing off the blue half sleeves tied around her biceps with yellow ribbons. "Since we made a lot of money off of that last job, I decided to give myself a makeover! Isn't it cute?"_

_Natsu hmmmed as he dragged his eyes over the heart shaped, skin tight shirt that stopped just as it reached her midriff. "Sure. I guess?"_

_Her eye twitched._

_"You changed your hair too."_

_Lucy reached up and touched her left pigtail. Natsu was surprisingly observant today… "Yeah. I decided that a new outfit meant new hairstyle! How does it look?"_

_"Sure," he replied, earning a scowl out of her. "Hey that gives me an idea!" he stood. "I'm gonna get new clothes too!"_

_Lucy cocked an eyebrow, "You serious? But I've never seen you in anything but baggy short pants and a vest."_

_"All the more reason to make a change!" he grinned wildly and grabbed her by the wrist. "Come on! You can help me pick something out!"_

_"Wait!" Lucy shrieked as the mischievous dragon slayer cackled and dragged her across the guild hall and out into the sunny morning._

Lucy buttoned the jacket up and then popped the collar. She then slipped the black arm band resting on the table onto her right wrist and buckled her leather belt around her waist. She slid her keys into the pouch on her left hip and then hung her whip on her right. Lastly, she wrapped the white checkered scarf around her neck, fluffing her hair over it.

She looked to the blue cat sitting on the table. She smiled gently, "Are you ready, Happy?"

Happy gulped and then gave a nod. "Aye Sir…"

* * *

><p>Natsu tossed the unconscious mage to the side, glancing around the messy room. He let out a sigh and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.<p>

"Not here either, huh?" He walked past a small fire crackling on the floor and headed to the window on the far side of the room. He peered through the glass at the courtyard down below. "Man…" he closed his eyes momentarily. "Where the hell _is _this guy?"

He reached up and scratched the back of his head, pursing his lips. Just how many bases was he going to have to attack before he found that silver haired bastard? He leaned his forehead on the glass and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. How the hell had he gotten into this mess?

_Natsu flew through the trees and then crashed into the ground, slamming the back of his head on the hard dirt. "Fuck!" he sat up hurriedly, a growl ripping up from his throat. "I'll _kill _that bastard!"_

_A large hand dropped onto his shoulder and held him back from standing up. Natsu jerked his head up and met the lone blue eye of Kieran. He held a finger up to his mouth, gaze darting through the trees._

_"Whoever said anything about an illusion?" Solomon's voice called._

_Kieran's face started to morph and change. His left eyelid lifted, revealing a wide golden eye. His hair spiked and lightened to a rosy pink. His clothes shifted and transformed into a one armed jacket and white pants._

_Natsu didn't speak as he watched Kieran steal his form._

_"Don't you think it's so much more delicious if it's _real_?" Solomon cackled._

_Kieran held Natsu's stare with one identical to his own. His hand on the dragon slayer's shoulder tightened. He leaned in and whispered two words that locked Natsu in place._

_"Trust me."_

_Natsu gulped and nodded._

_Lucy's voice came quivering across the garden, "What are you…"_

_Kieran stood and lunged through the trees, roaring, "BASTARD!"_

_Natsu's body trembled as he watched himself get impaled on Solomon's sword. He watched with jaw clenched as Lucy screamed and sobbed over his body. He lowered his head and stared at the ground as Wendy tried, and failed, to save him. Solomon would pay for his crimes. He would pay for killing Kieran. He would pay for making his friends cry._

_The bastard would pay._

Natsu sighed and straightened away from the window. "Guess it's time for another anonymous call to the military…" He walked over to the spherical lacrima resting on the floor beside a tall, mahogany desk. He powered it up and connected it to the coordinates he had memorized.

There was a slight delay, and then Captain Lahar's visage appeared in the orb. From his end, the only thing he could see in his lacrima was a pair of muddy boots and a terrorized room behind, unconscious bodies littering the floor.

"Got some more Empty Ark boys ready to be picked up," the voice that came was soft and low, impossible to distinguish. Lahar quickly saved the coordinates the call came from. The muddy boots turned.

"Wait!" Lahar called. "Stop! Who are you?"

The boots hesitated, and then continued across the room, revealing legs clad in jeans and the back of a black sweatshirt with the hood up. The stranger walked to the door and left the room.

"Tch," Lahar rubbed his temples. "Damn vigilantes…"

* * *

><p>The guild was silent when Lucy and Happy walked through the entrance. Everyone turned towards them, wearing the evidence of their mourning through bloodshot eyes and gaunt features. Erza stood. Her red hair was messy and dull. Her hands shook.<p>

It was the first time since Natsu's death that Lucy and Happy had set foot in the guild hall. The two of them had, immediately upon returning, locked themselves away in Natsu's house and refused to see anyone for days. Fairy Tail had put off any kind of service out of respect for the woman and the cat. Putting it off had somehow made it feel less real. Natsu wasn't _really _gone… was he? But now that Lucy and Happy were there… it must mean that their denial of their friend's death was soon coming to a close. A service would have to be had. Fresh tears threatened every set of eyes in the guild hall.

Lucy made a straight line across the guild, head held high, eyes clear, lips set and determined. Halfway to the counter, where Master Makarov sat, purple fire flew at her head. Lucy ducked the assault and turned. Everyone gasped.

Romeo stood behind Lucy, tears streaming down his face, teeth gritted, chest heaving up and down. In his hands he held two orbs of purple fire.

"Romeo!" Macao exclaimed. "What the _hell _are you _doing?_"

"We gotta put Lucy in danger!" Romeo shouted, eyebrows knitting together. "He'll come! He always finds a way! If Lucy's life is in danger then there's no way Natsu won't show up!" he lobbed two more fireballs in the celestial spirit mage's direction. "_Call out to him, Lucy!_"

She stepped out of the way of his attacks and he ran towards her.

"_He'll show up!_" Romeo leapt at her. "He _HAS to!_"

The young boy threw himself into Lucy's arms and she hugged him tight against her chest. The guild hall filled once again with the sounds of sobbing.

_"Hey Romeo!" Natsu waved cheerfully as the boy walked through the door. "Lemme eat some of that tasty fire of yours!"_

_Romeo rolled his eyes. "You ate too much last time! I was out of magical energy for the rest of the day!"_

_"Aw come on!" Natsu ran up to him and dropped an arm around his shoulders. "How about we spar them? You start chucking those yummy orange fireballs at me and I'll just happen to take a bite out of a few as we go."_

_"No way! I've gotta find a job. I don't have time to spar."_

_"A job, huh? What kind of job?"_

_Anger shot up Romeo's stomach, "A hard one! One filled with a lot of danger and the threat of death!"_

_Natsu blinked at him for a second and then laughed, "Sounds like my kind of job!"_

_Romeo gulped and looked away._

_"Well come on then! Let's go check the job board!" Natsu steered him joyfully across the guild hall. Natsu pulled his arm from Romeo's shoulders and rubbed his chin. "Hmmm… let's see…" he reached out and pulled a piece of paper off of the board, "Hey! This one sounds good!"_

_He handed it to Romeo, who tapped it silently without reading the description._

_"What do you think?"_

_Romeo sighed and stared at the floor, "Natsu… do you think I'm weak?"_

_Natsu cocked an eyebrow. "Weak? Hell no! Why?"_

_He scowled, "Dad told me I can't go on any hard missions by myself because he thinks I'm too weak to take care of myself!"_

_Natsu didn't speak._

_"I'm sick of it!" Romeo squeezed his hands into fists, crumpling the paper. "All he does is worry and worry and worry! It's so annoying!"_

_"Well…" Natsu grinned down at him, "That's just him being a dad! Dads are supposed to worry. That's just how they show they love you!"_

_Romeo stared at him for a moment._

_Natsu chuckled and then said, "Anyway, he's not wrong, Romeo."_

_"What? You think I'm too weak too?"_

_He shook his head, "He doesn't think you're weak. He just doesn't want you to go alone!"_

_"What's the difference?"_

_"I don't even go on jobs on my own. I always have someone with me. Not because I'm weak, but because having your friends nearby makes you stronger." He reached down and ruffled Romeo's hair. "Don't ever think that trusting others to have your back makes you weak." He grinned._

_Romeo gulped and looked away. He stepped forward and pinned the paper back up on the board._

_"Not gonna take it anymore?"_

_"Nah…" he turned, "I think I'll go ask Dad if he wants to go on a job with me."_

Lucy leaned back and wiped Romeo's tears with the sleeve of Natsu's jacket. They stood together and she reached out. She ruffled his hair gently and when he peered up at her, she grinned, eyes squinting shut, and for a moment, Romeo swore he saw Natsu again.

"C'mon, Romeo," Lucy said softly. "As if you could take me on all by yourself?"

He bit his lip and ducked his head, "S-sorry…"

"It's alright," she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "I feel the same way."

Romeo nodded and wiped at his eyes as she turned and continued over to Makarov. The old man looked on the verge of death. His cheeks were gaunt and his skin was grey. His eyes were dark, shadowed, and sunken into his head. His lips were cracked and his hair was a mess.

Lucy stopped in front of him.

"Lucy…" he said softly. "I'm glad to see you." He raised his bloodshot eyes to hers.

"Master," she gulped. "I have a request."

He hesitated and then gave a small nod, "Anything."

Lucy's eyes clouded over, "I get to lead the march up to Solomon's door."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Happy Valentine's Day everybody! My Valentine is working today. Lame. So I've decided that you are all going to be my Valentine instead, regardless of whether you have one already or not. C'mon, I'm more fun anyway, right? RIGHT!? Actually, I guess my sister is my Valentine today. She's coming down to see me, Hip hip hooray! (now comes the hours upon hours of her attempting to embarrass me in public) BRING IT ON PRISON! (I've decided that's her nickname because she's been in and out of the big house for most of her life. Hehehehe...)<strong>

**Just because Prison is going to be my new Valentine doesn't mean I won't be your Valentine though. So if you want me to whisper sweet nothings into my computer in the form of a message, then I will do just that. Mark my words. You can count on me!**

**I do have tracks... but I don't remember what they are, and I'm in a hurry to get back to my parents' house (where Prison is meeting me) so I'll just save it for later. Sorry this chapter is kind of short. Austria came over yesterday and we spent the entire day playing Hyrule Warriors and Rockband. By the way, I'm getting pretty great at the keytar! Wooo!**

**Alright, I'm calling it a day. Hope you like the chapter, even though nothing really happened... oh well. You'll get over it.**

**LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO MESSAGE ME FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER! YOU ARE NEVER BUGGING ME EVER EVER EVER. Okay? :)**

**Love-Moo**


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

"Now remember, children, don't be tellin' the military anything about me, ya hear?" Natsu clutched the collar of his severely beaten victim and shook him lightly.

"_Fuck you_," the bloody and bruised man coughed out, hatred in his eyes.

Natsu cocked an eyebrow and pulled the man up closer to his face, "Haah? What're you gonna tell them? You gonna say that some random, scrawny, pink haired nobody showed up and took down each and every one of your guys without breaking so much as a sweat?" A smirk formed on his lips, "Is _that _what you're gonna tell them?"

The man averted his eyes and gritted his teeth.

"If you're gonna tell them," Natsu shrugged, "I guess I can't stop you. So I might as well give you my name. It's Gray," he tossed the man to the floor. "Gray Fullbuster."

"We're gonna make you _pay _for this, _Gray Fullbuster_," the mage sneered.

Natsu chuckled, "Go ahead. I look forward to it."

Suddenly pain shot up his side. Blood exploded out from his skin. A beam of dark green light burst through the flesh of his abdomen and Natsu grunted and doubled over, clutching at the wound.

The mage on the floor laughed.

Natsu joined in.

The Empty Ark mage stopped, eyes growing wide.

Natsu straightened and turned, "Hey! Who threw that shot?" he dragged his eyes through the mess of wounded, groaning bodies behind him and noticed one of the mages propped up on his elbow, smoke sizzling from his outstretched hand.

Natsu sighed and glanced down at the bloody wound in his side, "Seriously… and I was going easy on you too. No broken bones or deaths… I guess that's what I get for treating dark guild scum with kindness." He jumped forward and knocked the attacker unconscious with a single blow to his face with the heel of his foot. He turned back to the first mage and walked over to him again.

"Don't forget," he said, hand catching fire, "Gray Fullbuster."

* * *

><p>Lucy stood on the edge of the cliff, gazing out across the vast canyon before her. Her fingers gently caressed the soft fabric of the white scarf around her neck. A breeze ruffled her hair and she closed her eyes as her sense of balance tipped and the sensation of teetering precariously over the edge took over. Her heart sped in her chest and she swallowed the lump in her throat as excitement and adrenaline shot up her spine.<p>

How terrifying and thrilling it was to perch just on the edge of death. She felt weightless and free as the wind circled through her hair and nudged her forward slightly. Her toes curled in her boots and her arms lowered to her sides as her heels lifted infinitesimally off of the rocky cliff face. A wave of vertigo swamped her and she let out a tiny gasp.

She opened her eyes and stared at the setting sun. The sky was orange and red, alight with the flames of the dying day.

_Flames_… Lucy gulped and touched the scarf again.

How exciting and beautiful would it be to be able to take off and disappear into that sunset. To step off of this cliff's edge and burn up in the flames.

How easy and freeing it would be…

"Hey, Lucy, you're takin' an awfully long time to go bathroom, do you need help or something—" Happy walked through the bushes. He caught sight of Lucy standing extremely close to the side of the cliff and panic erupted through him.

"LUCY NO!" his wings popped out and he flew to her. "NO PLEASE! LUCY DON'T! IT GETS BETTER!" Lucy turned slightly just to take the brunt of his attack to her chest. The force of their collision knocked the blonde just a few centimeters too far. Her toes slipped on the craggy cliff face and her body twisted.

The next thing the two Fairy Tail mages knew, they were plummeting down into the canyon.

"Happy!" Lucy grabbed him by the neck, "_What the hell are you doing_?"

"Gack!" he pawed at her hands. "I thought you were going to kill yourself!"

"I was just enjoying the view!"

"You were?"

"Yes!"

She released his throat and the cat hooked his claws into the back of Natsu's jacket.

"Well you looked like you were about to jump right off," he said as he lifted her back up to where they started.

"So you decided the only way to stop me is to push me?"

"I didn't really think it through. I was scared."

Lucy sighed as Happy set her back down on the ground.

"You don't have to worry about me, Happy," she gently patted the cat's head. "I wouldn't kill myself. I'm sad… terribly sad… but I know that it's harder to live for your friends than to die for them," she smiled. "And I'm much too strong to take the easy way out, don't you think?"

He sniffed, "Yeah…"

She kissed his forehead, "C'mon. Let's get moving."

"Aye Sir."

* * *

><p>"Oh man…" Natsu rubbed his eyes lethargically, "I don't feel so good…" he dragged his feet across the cobblestones of the street he walked down. He glanced around, "When did I get into town anyway?" He pulled the hood of his cloak up and over his head, shrouding his face, "Jeez, I don't want to get recognized…"<p>

An ache spread over his stomach and he groaned, clutching at the wound in his side. "Damn it," he grumbled. "I think I lost too much blood…" He would need to see a healer. And then get some food in his belly. He was practically starving. That must've been how he had wandered into the city without even realizing it. He intended to stay out in the wilderness, slipping from base to base like a phantom… but his angry stomach steered him straight towards the first scent of meat.

"Where am I anyway?"

The streets were bustling. There were balloons and flowers everywhere. It looked to Natsu like some kind of fair was taking place. Not unlike the Moonlit festival he had attended with Lucy months ago. The mere thought of Lucy made his heart ache.

_"Please don't. I… can't do this without you…"_ The memory of her heartbroken words were like daggers to his chest.

_She's gonna be so pissed when she finds out I'm still alive…_ he gulped and wiped the sweat that lined his brow at the thought. Yes, she was going to be furious that he played along with Kieran's little scheme. Then she was going to be sad about Kieran's sacrifice. Then she was going to be happy to be reunited with him.

_And then we'll kiss_, drool formed in the corner of his mouth as he imagined the hot, passionate kiss they would share once it was all done and over with. "Oooohhhhhh yeah…" his eyes glazed over.

_Lucy pulled back, eyes hazy as she stared up at him. Her lips were red and swollen from their passionate making out. "N-Natsu…"_

_"Lucy," he whispered and leaned back in for another taste of those lips._

_"Wait," she reached up and covered his mouth with two fingers. "There's nothing I want more than to kiss you until the end of time… but there's something I need to tell you."_

_"What is it?" he tightened his arms around her waist._

_"I want to have thirty-three babies with you."_

_"I feel the same."_

_"Right now?"_

_"Right now."_

_He dipped her and claimed her mouth once more._

_"Oh Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed as they fell to the floor, shedding clothes as they went._

Natsu slammed back into reality, eyes flying wide, cheeks blazing bright red. He jerked his head left and right, checking to be sure no one knew about the amorous thoughts he was just having. When he saw no one staring at him with dropped jaws, hiding their children's eyes and calling him indecent, he let out a deep breath of relief.

He sighed and scratched the back of his head. He could only be so lucky to have things turn out that way. He just wasn't that smooth though.

_I should plan what I'm going to say_, he decided, rubbing his chin. _Something really charming and cool._

"Thought I was dead, didn't you?" he tested, adding a sideways smirk.

He shook his head. No. That was too smug.

"You really think death could keep me away from you?" he tried, cocking an eyebrow and smiling softly.

He shook his head. No… that made him sound like he actually died but then came back to life.

"Ha! Fooled you!" he cackled and propped his fists up on his hips. His knuckles connected with his wound and he promptly bent over in pain.

No… he shook his head. She would Lucy Kick him right into the next life if he said something like that.

He sighed and straightened. He would have to keep thinking about it. In the meantime, he needed to do something about his injury. There had to be a healer somewhere in this city… whatever city it was…

"Lyon-sama! Lyon-sama! Look! There's a shaved ice stand!"

Natsu jerked his head towards the strangely familiar voice. Who was that?

A young girl with bright pink hair pulled up into twin pigtails high on her head was jumping excitedly on the side of the street next to a shaved ice stand. She wore a blue dress with white hearts on it.

"Hey," Natsu murmured. "I know her! She's the one with the magic like Wendy!" he grinned. "Just my luck!" He started towards her but then hesitated. "Wait…" if she found out who he was… she would tell that Lyon guy, and then Lyon would tell Gray, and then everyone would know he was still alive…

His side ached angrily.

He groaned and covered it with his hand, "Alright, alright. I'll take the risk." He pulled the hood down farther over his face. "So long as she doesn't recognize me…"

Natsu made his way over to Chelia as she practically drooled over the shaved ice menu. She glanced over her shoulder and called, "Lyon-sama! Hurry up!"

Her eyes fell on the strange man in the cloak heading straight for her.

"Hey little girl," Natsu said, masking his voice.

"Hello," she greeted, turning towards him.

"I've got something for you under my cloak."

Chelia's eyes went wide and she started screaming, "LYON-SAMA! THERE'S A PERVERT HERE TRYING TO SHOW ME—"

Natsu opened his cloak, revealing his bloodstained hoodie underneath.

Chelia stopped screeching, "Oh. You're injured! Is that what you wanted to show me?"

"Of course it is. What else would I show you?"

"N-nothing." She gulped and stepped forward. "I can heal it for you, lift up the sweatshirt."

Natsu did as he was told and she held her hands out. They started to glow as she held them over the wound. Natsu let out a sigh as relief flowed over him.

Chelia glanced up at him. His face was shrouded in the cloak except for the point of his chin and the curve of his mouth.

"How'd you know I know healing magic?" she asked. "Have we met before?"

"Oh! Uh…" Natsu scratched the back of his head. "Uhm… it's because… because… oh yeah! I saw you in the Grand Magic Games last year!"

"You did?" she brightened excitedly. "So you saw my fight with my good friend Wendy?"

"Sure did! You both were amazing!"

Chelia blushed and laughed, "Yeah! It was really fun fighting her! She surprised me by being really strong!"

The wound closed up under her hands and she stepped back, "There you go! All better!"

Natsu dropped his sweatshirt, "Thanks Chelia!"

She stared up into his hood as his mouth stretched wide for a grin. Her eyes narrowed, "I've seen that smile before…"

Panic gripped him. "Haah? Oh… uh… I used to be an underwear model! Okay thanks for healing me, bye now!" he turned and fled into the crowd of people.

"Hmm…" Chelia rubbed her chin, "If I didn't know better… I'd say that guy smiled a lot like Wendy's guild mate…"

"Chelia!" Lyon walked up, "Sorry. I got stopped by some vendors back there."

All thoughts of the mysterious stranger fled from Chelia's mind, "Lyon-sama! Buy me some shaved ice!"

* * *

><p>Natsu sighed, "Oh man… that was too close." His stomach growled and he patted it, "Okay! Now it's time for lunch!" he walked down the street, sniffing, deciding on the tastiest smell to follow.<p>

His nose zeroed on one scent and his body turned towards it.

"This smell…" his mouth watered. "This smell…" he would follow this smell anywhere.

He allowed his nose to lead him down the street, blinded to anything else but the sweet, delicious scent wafting on the breeze. As he passed, a certain man in a half shirt and furred vest perked.

Sting sniffed, turning his nose to the air.

"What is it?" Yukino asked, noticing the dragon slayer's sudden inattentiveness to the turkey leg he had just been fawning over a second before.

"Rogue," he said, glancing at his dark counterpart. "You smell that?"

Rogue turned in the direction the smell had gone. "It's impossible, isn't it?"

"What?" Yukino blinked in confusion. "What are you two talking about?"

Both dragon slayers stared off down the street and answered simultaneously, "Natsu."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: So the reason I haven't been updating as quickly as usual is because I've been house sitting for my parents this past week. They live on a farm out in the country so I have to sleep here to feed the cows and the cats and the dogs and the guinea pigs. (Yep, my mom has guinea pigs. Hehe) Which is fine because when I feed the cows I get my face licked by the neighbor dogs and that brings me endless amounts of joy and happiness. <strong>

**But the down side of this is that they don't have wi-fi. Naturally, I can just connect the ethernet cable to my laptop and have internet on it... but my one month free trial of Word has ended and if I connect it to the internet, it'll take it off of the computer or demand I spend actual money on it. Which I'm not gonna do. So I'm keeping it off the internets for a while and just typing on it because my mom and dad's computer is soooo slooooooooooowww and also the chair in front of it is soooooo uncomfortable... so yeah. This means I type on the laptop, save it onto a flash drive, and then take it to the slow computer and update on there. Which is two steps too many for a lazy bitch like me.**

**So that's my sob story of the day. On the other hand, my parents have pudding in their fridge, so... SCORE.**

**Anyway, Prison wasn't much of a Valentine, guys. All she did was bitch and moan about how her sexy fiance didn't buy her any gifts. I wanted to bring up the half naked (2/3 naked) picture of him that she had sent me a few weeks ago for my and Picole's admiration while we were at comic con and say, "Bitch, this tasty piece of man flesh IS your gift." but... I didn't. It was all good though. We watched movies and ate mac and cheese and cupcakes and then took weird pictures of us posing with a picture of our brother like it was his funeral. Good times... good times... Anyone do anything special for V-day?**

**TRACKS:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Little Things" by Lotte Kestner<br>**

* * *

><p><strong>"You'll be Okay" by A Great Big World<strong>

* * *

><p><strong> Oh crap, did anyone make suggestions this week? Hm... I would check... but like I said... shitty computer... no wi fi... Ugh. I'll look when I go back home. Sorry if you did make a suggestion and I'm being a jackass and just skipping right over it... SORRYYYYY.<br>**

**So! That's all. Love you all tons and tons and tons! Sorry I've been so lame and distant! It's just that I'm the absolute WORST with endings... and the ending is coming up so fast and I just... want to hide and avoid it. Forever. And Ever.**

**Love-Moo**


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

"Are you sure it was Natsu?" Yukino asked as she chased after the two dragon slayers.

"It smelled just like him!" Sting replied.

"But that's impossible! Natsu is… Natsu is…"

"Dead," Rogue finished. "Yeah. That's what everyone thinks anyway. There's no denying our noses though."

Sting sniffed, "It smells just like him… and yet at the same time…"

"The nature of it is different," Rogue agreed.

"What do you mean?" Yukino gained his side.

"It smells like him but it doesn't at the same time," Sting said. "That's really the best way to describe it."

"It smells like him…" Yukino repeated. "But it doesn't…"

Sting hesitated, turning his nose left and right. "Over there," he pointed off the side of the street. "It goes down that alley."

* * *

><p>The smell was driving him crazy. It was intoxicating, tantalizing… Natsu was in a trance as he chased it. So good… so sweet… so soft… He wanted to completely immerse himself in it, whatever it was. Where was it coming from? He had left the main street and was traveling by alleyway now. Was it really that far away? How did he pick it up from the main street with all of those other scents mingling with it?<p>

_Ah who cares_? Natsu closed his eyes and floated towards the source of the smell. He had to have it, whatever it was. He inhaled deeply and let out a sigh of pleasure.

He finally emerged from the alley into the street once more. This one was less busy than the last one. Across from it was a giant nature park. Natsu sniffed. That was where the scent seemed to be coming from. It was stronger here. He must be close.

Natsu followed his nose past the street. He walked across the grass, making his way through the park. When he reached the fountain, he paused. It was just on the other side. A large angel sculpture was in the center of the pool, shooting water everywhere, blocking his vision of whatever lie on the other side. He hugged the edge of the fountain and started to circle it. He reached the other end and frowned. The smell was still on the other side. Was it… moving?

Natsu narrowed his eyes, peering through the water as it shot out of the angel's wings and rained down into the basin. Every once in a while, the water would pause and then start up again, momentarily clearing up his vision of the other side for a short time. On one such occasion, Natsu caught a glimpse of someone standing opposite him. He cocked his head to the side as the water shot out again, hiding them from view.

Was that the source of the smell? A person? He frowned in disappointment. He was hoping it was food. The best food he had ever tasted. He had even started planning on bringing Lucy and Happy with him to this city to eat it together once all of this was done and over with…

The water disappeared again and Natsu peered across the fountain.

His heart abruptly stopped inside his chest.

"L-Lucy?" he whispered.

The celestial spirit mage was wearing his clothes. Her blonde hair was down around her face and she had a gentle smile on her lips as she stared down at Happy, who sat on the edge of the fountain, searching the water beneath him.

Natsu's mouth dried up and he gulped. She was there. Just a few meters away from him. He could call out to her. He could wipe away the sadness from her eyes. He could run to her and pull her into his arms and apologize for leaving her… he could tell her he loved her…

He could…

"Happy," Lucy said, distracting him. "There are no fish in there."

"You don't know that!" he argued.

"It's a fountain, not a river."

"Maybe one snuck in when no one was looking."

"Such a sneaky fish would have no problem hiding from a crappy cat like you."

"Hey!"

Natsu leaned his knees on the edge of the fountain. How had he not recognized her scent? He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Was he really so deprived of her presence that the mere smell of her had put him in a primal trance? Was he really that bestial?

"Ah! Lucy look! A fish!"

"What?" Lucy leaned over the cat, "Where?"

"Haha!" Happy splashed her face with water. "Tricked you! You really are dense, Lucy."

Lucy glared at him and wiped the water from her face with the sleeve of Natsu's jacket, "I'm gonna kill you for that, cat."

"Lucy?"

Natsu jerked at the sound of the new voice. Was that…

Lucy and Happy turned as the three Sabertooth mages jogged up to them.

Natsu promptly threw himself into the fountain.

"Yukino!" Lucy smiled, "And Sting and Rogue!"

"Lucy!" Yukino ran up and hugged the woman. "What are you doing in Crocus?" she stepped back.

So _that's_ where they were… Natsu slithered through the water to the angel statue. He hid behind it and peered through the gap between the angel's feet.

"Yeah," Sting stacked his hands behind his head, "Doesn't Fairy Tail usually do their own thing for the flower viewing?"

Lucy bit her lip, "Yeah… well… this year…"

Yukino threw a glare in Sting's direction. The dragon slayer frowned at her in response, but then realization crossed his face and he dropped his arms to his sides.

"Oh! Oh… yeah… right…" he cleared his throat.

"Lucy," Rogue said. "Are those Natsu-san's clothes?"

Lucy nodded, "Yeah… I… I just thought I'd wear them… to kinda…" she averted her eyes. "To keep him close."

"Hold up a second…" Sting stepped closer to her, nose wiggling as he sniffed. He leaned closer and closer, enticing a blush from Lucy.

Natsu gripped the angel's ankles, gritting his teeth, "_I'm going to kick that guy to another planet!_"

Sting put his nose right up against the scarf around Lucy's neck and inhaled. He stepped back with a sigh.

"Well?" Rogue asked.

Sting nodded, "That's it. That's the smell."

Yukino's face fell, "Smells like him but doesn't at the same time… so that's what you meant."

"Aw man," Sting crossed his arms over his chest, "How disappointing. I thought maybe that guy really was still alive."

Rogue sighed, "Me too. But then again, if he was, I highly doubt he would be in a place like Crocus. Especially during the flower viewing festival."

"Why especially?" Yukino wondered.

"Because I would assume that if he were alive, he would've gone straight back to Fairy Tail and informed them of his survival. If he _didn't_ do that, then there would have to be a good reason that he would need the world to believe that he was actually dead. And coming to the most densely populated city where mages from guilds all across Fiore are visiting for one of the biggest parties of the year? He would have to be some kind of mega idiot to do something like that."

Natsu's eye twitched and he fought off the urge to jump out and kick every one of those Sabertooth buffoons' asses.

Lucy smiled, "You… thought he was alive?"

Yukino rushed to explain, "Sting and Rogue thought they smelled Natsu and so we followed his scent here."

"Ah…" she nodded and glanced down at her clothes, "And it was really me."

"Sorry," Sting said, "It's probably really rude of us to just come up and start talking about that guy with you. I'm sure you're still really sad…"

She chuckled, "Naturally."

They were silent. Finally Sting murmured, "If it makes you feel any better… you really do smell like him."

Yukino slapped him on the arm as Rogue shook his head.

Lucy laughed, "It's weird… but that actually does kind of make me happy."

Natsu's chest warmed and tightened.

"What about me?" Happy jumped onto Lucy's shoulder, "Do I smell like him too?"

"Actually you just smell like fish."

"It's a sign, Lucy," the cat insisted. "We must go find some fish to eat!"

She rolled her eyes, "We didn't come here for fish."

"So what did you come here for?" Yukino asked.

Lucy clasped her hands together in front of her, "To find you."

"Haah?" Sting cocked an eyebrow, "Us? What for?"

"Not just you," she added. "Also Lyon, Toby, Yuka, Jura, Chelia, Ichiya, Hibiki, Eve, Ren, Doranbolt, Arcadios… really anyone that I could manage to gather."

The Sabertooth mages stared at her in shock.

"It's like you said… this is one of the biggest events of the year. Most of the guilds in Fiore are here in celebration. That's why I thought it'd be the perfect time to gather you all together in one place and ask for your help."

"Our help?"

Lucy locked each of them with a stare, "I want to ask for your help in crushing Empty Ark."

Stunned silence followed her statement. Natsu's body went cold.

_So she _is_ planning revenge…_ he leaned his forehead on the back of the statue. _Damn it… I've been wasting too much time knocking out these small fry! I need to get to the main base quick…_

Finally, Sting broke the silence, "Naturally, I'm all up for it. But… Empty Ark is a dark guild with fingers in just about every dark guild pie across Fiore. Even Raven Tail is afraid of them."

"And that's not just a side effect of their heavy use of fear magic," Rogue added. "Taking them out will not be a simple task."

"Which is why I'm coming to you," she nodded. "Solomon has been amassing his forces for weeks now. He's been pulling from all of his locations over the country and focusing them in his main base. Even other dark guilds that he's in contact with are sending their best mages over for protection."

"Does he fear Fairy Tail's wrath so much?" Yukino whispered.

"Yes," Lucy's voice was firm. "As he rightfully should." Tears filled her eyes suddenly, "I will make him pay a hundredfold for the crime he has committed." Her jaw clenched, "It's… it's not just that he killed Natsu. It's not just that. It's the way he did it. He killed him to make _me _suffer. Natsu wasn't his enemy. It was _me._ And he took their battle lightly and killed him like he was merely a tool for my destruction." She looked away, hands clenching into fists. "That's not how Natsu should've died… it had nothing to do with his strength or weakness. It was all about the luck of the situation and Natsu just so happened to draw the short straw. That's not a death worthy of him. And I will make Solomon _pay_ for that and all of the pain that the guild is feeling because of his carelessness for human life."

Yukino pulled the fellow celestial spirit mage into her arms and hugged her tightly.

Natsu slid down in the water, turning and leaning his back on the statue. _Shit_, he held his head in his hands. He dug his fingers into his skull to keep his body in place. He wanted to run to Lucy, to take Yukino's place and comfort her. But he couldn't. Not now. Especially not after he just heard her plans to attack Solomon.

He needed to act fast. He had to get to the main base before Lucy did. There were still small hideouts that he hadn't cleaned out yet, but oh well. Solomon took precedence.

But how was he supposed to break into the main base with the level of protection he was racking up?

Natsu's eyes glinted and a slow smirk spread across his face, "That just makes it more interesting," he muttered and let out a low chuckle.

A small boy standing on the edge of the fountain tugged on his mother's skirt and pointed, "Mommy, there's a strange man sitting in the fountain!"

"Don't look at him Sweetie," she averted her son's eyes and pulled him away, "That amount of stupid might actually be contagious…"

* * *

><p>"So she's building an army, is she?" Solomon leaned back in his chair and let out a laugh.<p>

"Yes Sir," the Empty Ark mage said. "She traveled to Crocus and appealed to Fairy Tail's allies there for the festival."

"Fairy Tail's allies?" he snorted. "Like I'm so scared of a group of law abiding magic council _dogs_."

"Well Sir…" the mage shifted uncomfortably, "Among them is Jura Neekis… of the ten wizard saints. And on top of that, they have Laxus Dreyar, who defeated Jura in battle during the Grand Magic Games last year. Not to mention Fairy Tail's master Makarov."

"_So_?"

"And then altogether they have five dragon slayers and the chief of the Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron, Arcadios, who is rumored to be bringing half his army!"

Solomon stood and approached his subordinate, "And you're telling me this… _why_?"

The mage stared at him in shock, "B-because… I… I don't think the troops you have accumulated will be enough! At this point, we have no chance of stopping them!"

Solomon laughed and leaned his face close to the mage, "Don't be an idiot." He leaned back and walked across the room. He stopped at the window and gazed out across the courtyard below, where mages trained, throwing magic at wooden dummies. "You just don't understand. No matter how strong someone is," his mouth stretched wide in a maniacal grin, "_everyone _fears _something_."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I just realized I haven't answered messages for a while. I'm sorry everybody! I didn't forget you! I'm finally back home so I'll be able to do all that stuff now. I know I got music suggestions this time, but I haven't had the time to listen to them yet, so I'll do that today and include them on tomorrow's update. Promise. I proclaimed today a major house cleaning day since I don't have a single dish that isn't shoved into the sink for washing... so I'll have to wait until later on to answer the messages and listen to the music. <strong>

**Are you guys excited for the end? It's coming quick. I'm terrified. Like seriously... how am I gonna end it? It's a mystery for all of us, indeed. Hopefully it turns out well for everybody in the end. I only plan on killing three people. So...**

**Just kidding.**

**Or am I?**

**Who knows?**

**Alright, I'm signing out now. With no music because I don't even have my own at this point...**

**Thanks everyone for your continued support! I love you all to death! Like... I love you so much that I want to wrap my arms around you and squeeze until you can't breathe and then die. That's the level of my love. *heavy breathing* Anyway, thanks so much for the reviews! It makes me smile every time I get a new email! And I read each and every one, rest assured. :) Until next time.**

**Love-Moo**


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Being sneaky had never been Natsu's strong suit. In fact, it was probably his weakest point. But over the months, he had learned how to pick his battles and make wise decisions. And kicking down the door to Solomon's main base and then blazing through hundreds of Fiore's best and most dangerous dark mages just wasn't something within his capabilities at the moment.

_Someday_, he thought sourly as he crawled on his belly through the underbrush. He was just lucky that the base was hidden deep in the forest. Sneaking up to it, even though he ran into guards on patrol every five minutes, was easy as cake.

After an hour of dragging his belly through dirt, rocks, and pine needles, he finally caught sight of the high stone walls surrounding the gloomy fortress.

"_Score_!" he whispered and pumped his fist in the air. Now all he had to do was somehow scale the fifteen meter wall, avoid the guards making rounds along the top of it, avoid any and all mages he might come across as he snuck through the courtyard, avoid anybody he ran in to while sneaking through the fortress, and then find Solomon without incident, where he is probably waiting patiently in that highest tower up front, probably lounging on a throne made from the bones of all the people he mercilessly murdered over the years.

Yeah. Should be easy enough.

Natsu sighed as he stared at the wall. If only he had Happy with him. Then this whole thing really would be easy. But he was on his own, and if he wanted to kill Solomon before Lucy and her army showed up, he needed to get his ass in gear and make it to that highest tower!

He hesitated, lying on his stomach in a bush. He propped his chin up on the palm of his hand and let out a little sigh. _Lucy and her army…_ a small smile brushed over his lips and his cheeks flushed. _My girl, organizing a siege all by herself just to avenge my death… _he giggled and kicked his legs giddily. Did that mean she liked him? Like, _like-_liked him? Surely that's what it meant, right?

Natsu snapped back to reality and slapped his hands against his cheeks. "Hold yourself together, Natsu," he commanded sternly. "Once you kill this asshole, you can ask her yourself."

He slithered out of the bush and scampered on all fours up to the wall. He leapt to his feet and plastered his back to the stones, glancing around for anyone out to foil his perfect plan. When he found no one, he turned and stared up the wall.

_How the hell am I gonna get over this thing_? He tried hooking his fingers in the cracks of the stones but couldn't find any deep enough to support his weight. He scrabbled along the wall for a few seconds like a cat sharpening its claws on the couch before giving in.

_New plan_, he turned, eyes darting to the right. He hugged the wall and made his way around the fortress silently, like ninja. Finally, almost halfway around, he found just what he was looking for. An immense pine tree, stretching thirty meters high, sat only ten meters from the wall.

_Perfect_! Natsu abandoned the wall and ran to the tree, immediately throwing himself into the scraggly, bushy, low hanging branches. He scampered up the tree quickly, quietly chanting, "Up and up and up and up I gooooo."

When he was several meters above the wall, he hung onto the branch he crouched atop and examined the structure below him. There was a lone guard leaning against the side, head nodding as he fought off sleep. He straightened and yawned, stretching his arms over his head. He faced the fortress and let out a long sigh, wandering slowly over to the inside, peering into the courtyard, tapping his fingers on the stones.

After a few moments of giving off no intention of moving, Natsu gritted his teeth and cut his losses. He pushed off of the branch, vaulting from the tree and landing softly on top of the wall in a crouch. He snuck up behind the guard and jumped on him. He locked his legs around the man's torso, holding his arms in place, then wrapped one arm around his throat and slapped the hand of his other over his mouth.

He applied heavy pressure to the man's neck as he writhed and struggled inside his strong hold. Muffled shouts of complaint pushed at his hand and he clamped it over tighter.

"Shh, shh," Natsu whispered in his ear. "Just go to sleep now."

After long seconds, the man finally crumpled to the ground. Natsu unwound from him and moved away, checking his pulse to be sure he didn't go too far.

"Alright," he peered over the inside ledge of the wall and down into the courtyard. He let out a quick groan when he registered just how many people loitered about. There was no way he was going to be able to sneak around them. He could probably take them all out if he fought… but that would draw too much attention.

"_Shit_." He paced the wall for a few seconds. "_Fuck_. Now what?"

He glanced down at the man he had just knocked out. An idea popped into his head and he kneeled next to his unconscious body, "Hey Buddy… what size you wear?"

* * *

><p>"Give me a status report."<p>

The green haired mage snapped to attention, "Th-They've wiped out our first wave of defense and are crossing the river, Sir."

Solomon leaned against the window sill and peered down into the courtyard. "They've made it through that easily, huh?" he grinned. "Splendid. Send the second wave, will you?"

"Yes Sir!" the mage pressed his fingers to his forehead and sent out the order telepathically.

Solomon hummed as he ran his eyes over the mages down below. Lucy Heartfilia was on her way and he could barely contain his excitement. What fun did she have in store for him? She had organized an alliance greater than any Fiore had ever witnessed… the strongest mages from all over the country gathering together just to avenge the life of one measly man.

_How thrilling_!

His humming turned to whistling as he imagined the horrors he had in store for the celestial spirit mage. She would surely demand to be the one to take him out. Would she bring a friend with her to his tower? Or would she come alone in fear of him holding that person against her? He laughed. It didn't matter either way. The terror he could show her was endless, whether he had the help of a live specimen or not.

He had already seen into her mind. He knew just how to twist her heart. "_Kill her friends, murder her loved ones_," he sang morbidly and then cackled. He licked his lips. Her fear was delicious. More so than any fear he had tasted in the past. How lucky he was that his idiot of a brother had been killed by such an interesting person.

_How utterly fortunate_!

"Sir?" his subordinate drew his attention once more.

"Hm?" Solomon glanced at him over his shoulder.

"I've been informed that the entire second wave was annihilated by one Gildarts Clive."

Solomon blinked for a second and then burst out laughing. "So, even the great Gildarts took a break from his wandering to join in on the fun?" he turned back towards the window. "_Perfect_. Send the fifth wave."

"The fifth?" the mage frowned, "Already? But…"

"I know, I know," he waved his hand. "I was saving them for later… but if Lucy Heartfilia is going to make it to me alone, then I'm gonna need to distract Mister Clive sooner rather than later. Have them focus their energy on him and those other three fellows." He hummed for a second and then snapped his fingers, "Ah, yes. The Saints. Jura and that Makarov. And the fairy grandson. Laxus."

"Sir there's also another that we should be concerned about."

"Hm?" Solomon cocked an eyebrow, "And who is that?"

"A former member of the Ten Wizard Saints and former council member. Jellal Fernandes."

"Hm." Solomon grinned, "Alright then. Have them focus on him too. I can think of one weakness they might be able to exploit…"

"Yes Sir."

Solomon tapped his fingers on the window sill and stared out over the courtyard. "Hurry, hurry, Lucy Heartfilia. I eagerly await our meeting!" His eyes caught a glimpse of something on the western wall. He cocked an eyebrow and then squinted. His mouth stretched impossibly wide when he realized what it was.

"Come now…" he said quietly. "You didn't even try hiding the body!" He turned his eyes down to the courtyard again, jumping from face to face. Finally, he saw a suspicious figure sticking to the shadows of the wall as it moved towards a less densely manned path leading towards the fortress. He wore the uniform black and grey clothing of his guards, but he definitely wasn't one of Solomon's men.

Solomon laughed suddenly, scaring a jump from the telepathy mage behind him.

"It seems we have an intruder," he said amusedly.

"An intruder?" the mage blinked in shock. "But… that's impossible… we have guards everywhere from—"

"Eh," Solomon waved a hand dismissively. He turned to the mage and locked him with a maniacal eye, "He's an old acquaintance, actually. Be sure he makes it to my room unbothered, alright?"

"Sir?"

Solomon turned and headed down the hallway, "I think I'll play with him before my Lucy shows up." His grin turned progressively more maniacal the closer he got to his throne room. "Who would have ever imagined," he chuckled darkly, "That I would get to kill Natsu Dragneel more than once?"

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><p>"Lucy!" Sting whined, "Gildarts is stealing all of the action!"<p>

"It's true," Gajeel grumbled. "I haven't gotten to knock a single head loose since we got here."

"Oh come now, boys," Erza braced her fists on her hips and stared across the battlefield as Gildarts sent a wave of bodies flying with a swat of his arm. "You just have to be quicker than that!"

"Nobody's that fast," Rogue muttered.

"At least you can terrorize the bodies," Gray said, putting a row of unconscious men in a single block of ice.

"You might as well save your energy," Lucy said, staring at the map in her hands. "There are more mages within the guild's walls than even Gildarts can wipe out on his own."

"Is that the map Virgo drew up for you?" Levy asked, coming up behind the blonde and peering over her shoulder.

"Yeah," Lucy showed it to her. "She wrote up a rough count of the mages surrounding the walls and then just inside."

"And it's a lot?" Gajeel questioned, arms crossed over his chest.

"It's a lot."

He, Sting, and Gray all shared a grin.

Happy perched on Lucy's shoulder as she folded up the map.

"Hey Lucy," he said quietly, "How are you doing?"

She let out a deep breath and then reached up to stroke his head. "I'm fine. This is it… isn't it?"

He looked forward as Gildarts let out a roar and leveled half of the forest.

"Yeah…" he said. "I guess it is."

"By the end of this battle… Natsu's death will be avenged."

"Yeah…"

Lucy looked up at him, "I'm sorry Happy. I know… I know that this revenge stuff isn't your thing. I just… _need _to do this…"

"I know," he leaned his cheek against her face, "I know. And not just you. But everyone else needs it too. And once this Solomon guy is gone… then we can do what Natsu said. Right?"

Lucy smiled, "Yeah. Once this is done… we can go home and live. For Natsu."

"For Natsu," he repeated softly.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Well guys, it's getting more into the action bits. I wish I had more time to make these chapters longer, but I want to keep updating on a daily basis, so I kinda gotta cut them short in order to do that. Well, at least you're getting something, right? ;) Today I don't get to spend much time writing because I need to finish cleaning the house... (We got sidetracked with Bob's Burgers and Ranma 12) and we are also going to go scope out some furniture! Woo! It's way overdue, seriously. We have this one shitty couch that has these crazy big "holes" that when you sit in them, you basically have to pray to the gods, chant a satanic enchantment, hire a tow truck and a crane, cry, inject steroids into your legs, and have six of your friends grab your hands to pull you out again. It's ridiculous, lemme tell ya. But not only are we lazy... but I have a problem with new things... as I have said in the past. I especially have a problem with new things if I have to spend a lot of money to get them. And couches ain't cheap.**

**So that's what that's about. But seriously though. Are you guys excited for the end? Or are you sad? I'm kinda sad. But also kinda excited. I hope it turns out well.**

**Well here's Tracks for the day:**

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><p><strong>"From Can to Can't" by Corey Taylor and Dave Grohl<strong>

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><p><strong>"Boy Got it Bad" by Kail Baxley<strong>

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><p><strong>Suggested by Reier:<strong>

**"Welcome to My Life" by Simple Plan (For the beginning of the story when Lucy feels useless)**

**"Brucero per te" by Negrita (About her love with Natsu)**

**"Words" by Skylar Gray (When she visits her parents' graves)**

**"Every Breath You Take" by The Police (For when Natsu is following Lucy around the festival) (Also another really hauntingly cool version of this song is by Chase Holfelder! Be sure to check it out! It fits more as a bit of a reprise later on in the story like after Natsu "dies" maybe even this chapter or the next)**

**"When You're Gone" by Avril Lavigne (When everyone thinks Natsu is dead.)**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by Uzumaki Naho:<strong>

**"Young Love" by Eli Lieb**

**"Just a Dream" by Nelly**

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by RYNO IV:<strong>

**"Everything's Alright" from the To The Moon OST**

* * *

><p><strong>Did I miss anybody? Please remind me if I did! Thanks for your suggestions everybody! I really loved them! And thank you for sticking with me all this time! Hope you continue to enjoy! I'll do my best to not disappoint! ;) I love you all soooo much and you have no idea how touching it is to receive your love and kind words! You are the sunshine of my life!<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Natsu made it across the courtyard without incident. He let out a low cackle as he pushed through the door into the fortress. His laughter faded, however, when he noticed the three guards standing just within, eyes locked on him as the door slid shut behind.

_Oh fuck_. Natsu froze, eyes growing wide as the men stared. The man closest narrowed his eyes, vein in his forehead leaping. He clenched his hands into fists and Natsu prepared to fight.

But before either of them could throw a punch, one of the other mages nudged the one in front. They glared at each other for a few seconds and then they all stepped aside, letting Natsu through.

Stunned, he forced his legs to propel him forward, keeping his eyes on the mages as they scowled and watched him go. When he was past them, he turned and walked backwards, still staring as they reluctantly turned and left the fortress.

Natsu paused. _What the hell was that_? He glanced down at his clothes. Did his disguise really work that well? He turned forward again, a grin stretching across his face. _Natsu Dragneel, master of disguise_. He hurried across the large foyer to the spiral staircase in the center. He needed to get to the top. The bad guys always hung out in the highest point of the evil, creepy castle.

And this place definitely was creepy. It was dimly lit, with dark marble and cold grey stone up the wazoo. Even the staircase, which could be considered quite elegant, was soiled by the wrought iron railing that looked like it'd impale you if you missed a single step.

"Don't trip, Natsu," he muttered as he started up, skipping three stairs at a time. His heart was stampeding in his chest. He was here. He was so close to Solomon that he could almost taste the disgusting aura of his terror magic. Or maybe that was just the place. There had to be more fear mages slithering around this fortress somewhere. That's what Solomon did, right? Collected them?

He shivered and made a face. He didn't want to run into anyone like that. Solomon and Azamin were enough to put him off of magic for the rest of his life. He gulped as he neared the top of the stairs. What did Solomon have in store for him? Would he show Natsu his greatest fear? Would he plunge him into hell and then strike him down?

No. Natsu shook his head. Solomon thought he was dead. He was going to catch him off guard. He wouldn't be able to use his torture device on him before he put his lights out. Natsu reached the top of the stairs and didn't hesitate before running off down the hall to the left, totally lost but pretending not to be.

And then after he killed Solomon, he would go home and see Lucy and Happy. He smiled. Yeah. It was a good plan. He slowed as he reached the end of the hall. He turned to the right and started down another. He started chanting his plan over and over in his mind. _Kill Solomon, go home, tell Lucy you love her. Kill Solomon, go home, tell Lucy you love her. Kill Solomon…_ Natsu froze. Because just then he realized he was missing a major step.

After he killed Solomon… "_How the hell am I supposed to get outta here?_" Natsu exclaimed, gripping his head in his hands. He let out a loud groan and then started pounding his skull on the stone wall. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!" How could he not think of that? Was he supposed to sneak back out like he had snuck in? His fight with the Empty Ark Master was going to draw attention. And that attention would not take kindly to his offing their leader and then casually strolling out the front door! How could he be so stupid?

Erza would be beating the crap out of him right now if she were around. "_How could you not have an escape plan ready before infiltrating the enemy base_?" she would've screamed at him.

Natsu fell to his knees and slapped his hands together over his head, "Sorry! Sorry Erza! Forgive me!"

He sat there for a few moments. He lowered his arms to his sides and drew in a heavy breath. He let it out in a whoosh and then climbed shakily to his feet. He couldn't turn back now. He had come too far to just give up. So he didn't have an escape plan. So what? He made a promise that he would kill that bastard and return to Lucy. And Natsu Dragneel didn't break promises anymore.

_Kill Solomon, fight your way out, go home, tell Lucy you love her._

_Kill Solomon, fight your way out, go home, tell Lucy you love her._

* * *

><p>"Gildarts."<p>

The auburn haired man turned, wiping the sweat from his brow. He peered down at Lucy as she crossed her arms over her chest and leveled him with a serious stare.

"What is it, Lucy?"

She sighed, "I'm here to relay the others' complaints."

"Oh yeah? They got something to complain about?"

"They're mad that you are taking all of the action."

His head dropped backwards and he stared at the sky, letting out a groan. "This again?"

"Well I mean…"

"Are they really so scared to come tell me in person that they had to send you? Cowards, I'll show them all a lesson when we get back."

"Now listen, Gildarts," Lucy poked him in the arm. "I know you're going a little overboard because of your anger and desire for revenge…"

"That ain't it—"

"But don't you know that every single person here feels the same way? We are all here, thirsting for a taste of revenge and release from our pain. And with you knocking everyone away with a breath before anyone else can even lift a hand, you're the only one that's getting any satisfaction."

Gildarts scratched the back of his head sheepishly, averting his eyes to the ground in shame.

Sting, Gajeel, and Elfman laughed as they watched from a distance.

"Lucy scolding Gildarts," Gray chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day."

Erza smiled and nodded slowly, "Lucy has grown immensely. She's become a woman worthy to be feared." Her eyes shone with pride, "A woman after my own heart…"

Master Makarov walked up, "Has everyone finished resting up?"

"Like we even needed it," Rogue observed. "The only one doing any work around here is Gildarts and Jura occasionally."

"Hmmm," Makarov watched Lucy as she reached out and patted the man on the shoulder. "That may be so. But just the act of being here can take its toll on someone."

"What do you mean, Master?" Erza asked.

Lyon walked up, followed shortly by Jellal and Juvia.

Makarov turned towards the trees that lay before them, separating the rag tag army and Empty Ark's guild hall. "We aim to avenge our fallen comrade, with his death still weighing heavily on our minds. Is what we are doing right? At this point, it hardly matters. We are fully invested into this action, unknowing, _uncaring_ if it is truly what Natsu would want us to do. And if we fail, what are the consequences?"

"We won't fail," Erza said, turning to Lucy again. "We have Natsu's spirit spurring us forward. There's no way we could ever fail."

"I don't think Gildarts is sharing any of Natsu's spirit," Gray said with a scowl.

Lyon chuckled, "Is that going to be your excuse for taking out less dark mages than me?"

"Dream on!"

"Juvia," Lyon took the water mage's hand. "If I beat Gray, you'll join Lamia Scale, right?"

"Get your hands off of her, you dumbass!"

As they fought, Jellal went to Erza. "How are you doing?" he asked softly.

She looked up at him and smiled gently, "I'm doing well. I'm relieved actually… by the way everyone is treating this so lightheartedly. I thought maybe at first we would be a solemn army, full of anger and sadness. But I see now that it is the opposite. Everything is light, fun. Just like Natsu." She stared down at the ground, rubbing her arms. "I think he may have lent us his cheer for this trial."

Jellal smiled and watched as Elfman and Gajeel joined in on Gray and Lyon's fight while Sting and Rogue rolled their eyes and spoke about comradery and the immaturity of fighting amongst friends.

"I agree," he said. "He most definitely has not left without changing everyone for the better."

A shout drew everyone's attention. Gildarts had collapsed and Lucy was supporting him, arms hooked under his armpits. Cana, who was arguing with Bacchus about the usual, drinking, ran up.

"Old Man!" she stood next to him, "What's wrong?"

"Cana!" he grabbed her arm and shoved her away. "RUN! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" His eyes glazed over and he let out a cry.

Jellal grunted and slid to his knees.

"Jellal?" Erza reached out to him.

"No!" he jerked his head up and stared at her in terror. "Don't touch me! Please, just… leave me. Don't get close!"

"Gramps!" Gray ran to Makarov as the old man fell onto his back, arms and legs writhing.

Lisanna ran up, "Jura and Laxus are down! We don't know what's wrong!"

Lucy gripped Gildarts tight as he let out a roar and bucked his back. "Gildarts!" she exclaimed, "Listen! It's not real! It's fake! Can you hear me?"

"Lucy, what's happening?" Cana demanded, worry etched in her face.

"It's fear magic," Lucy answered. She searched the surrounding trees. "There must be mages nearby."

"They're targeting our most powerful mages," Lyon realized.

"Oh no," Juvia covered her mouth with her hands. "What're we going to do?"

"You'll continue on," Jellal struggled to stand, panting.

"Jellal," Erza tried to go to him again but he shook his head.

"Please Erza… don't… don't touch me!" He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. He breathed evenly for a few moments and then opened his eyes again. "Everyone needs to continue on towards Empty Ark. We… we can handle this."

"He's right," Makarov choked out, climbing to his feet once more. He grimaced with pain and locked his eyes on the ground. "We can handle this. You must leave."

Lucy gulped. Gildarts reached up and grabbed her shoulder. He gave it a squeeze and then stood shakily. He swayed, avoiding looking at Cana. "It's fine," he growled. "They are no match for us. Fear magic or not."

Happy flew to Lucy and perched on her shoulder. She nodded and turned to the others, "We will move on! Leave this to our most powerful!"

"Does that mean I should stay?" Sting asked with a smirk.

"You?" Gajeel let out a laugh. "Yeah right! Me!"

"C'mon," Gray rolled his eyes. "If anyone was gonna stay, it'd be Erza."

The redhead nodded, "Although I'm not against challenges if anyone thinks they are more suited."

"Would you brats just go already?" Makarov growled.

Lucy turned and led the march through the trees, shouting, "_LET'S MOVE!_"

"_AYE SIR_!" Everyone cheered and followed.

* * *

><p>"Uuuuuuuuuuugggghhhhhhh," Natsu pulled a painting off of the wall and chucked it across the hallway. "Where the hell <em>is <em>this asshole?" He had been running around the fortress blindly for half an hour now. He climbed every set of stairs he ran in to, but he still hadn't found Solomon's chambers.

He stood, breathing heavily, trying to keep his flames of ire inside. "I just want to kill him and get the fuck outta here," he snarled. "Why is this so hard? Who the fuck wants to live in a goddamn labyrinth anyway?"

The sound of someone clearing his throat drew Natsu's attention. He whirled around, preparing to silence whoever it was that found him.

A man in a grey robe cocked his eyebrow and stared at the dragon slayer.

_Shit. Found out._ Natsu lifted his fists.

"Uhm," the man said. "Are you one of Black Destiny's mages?" he asked.

"Haah?" Natsu lowered his fists again.

"Are you looking for Solomon?" he continued. "There was supposed to be a Black Destiny mage meeting up with the Master to tell him the status of the southern front. Is that you?"

"Uhh…" Natsu wiped his sweaty palms on the front of his jacket, "Y-yeah! That's me! I can't find the right room…"

"I'll take you there," the man offered and turned.

"Hey, thanks!" Natsu grinned and followed him down the hallway. _I'll be sure to spare this guy from my beating spree when I escape… _he thought with a nod.

He was led through winding corridors and up another staircase. Finally, the man pushed open the door at the end of a long hallway, gesturing Natsu in.

The dragon slayer bounded in, tossing the hood from his head triumphantly.

"Welcome back from the dead, Mister Dragneel," a cool voice sounded from across the room.

Natsu faced the man lounging on a throne on the far wall. Solomon leaned against the arm rest, a wide grin stretching tight across his pale face. His braided hair hung on the side of his neck, and he wore a silky black shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest.

Natsu's eyebrows knit together, "Wait… you don't sound surprised to see me."

Solomon laughed, "Of course not!"

Furious heat swarmed in Natsu's stomach, "You knew I was alive?"

"Naturally."

"For how long?" his voice was short, harsh as it cut through the chilled air of the room.

Solomon leaned forward, green eyes glinting, "_I've known from the start._"

Natsu clenched his hands into fists, panting heavily in rage. "You… knew… the entire time?"

He nodded and leaned back again, letting out a short laugh. "Naturally! You don't think I would've checked the mind of who I was killing before I killed him?" he rolled his eyes. "I knew it was Kieran all along."

Natsu gritted his teeth, ducking his head, "So it was all for nothing. Lucy believing I was dead all this time… _everyone _believing I was dead… running around in disguise and taking out your bases…" he jerked his head up, fury burning in his golden eyes, "_YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT ALL ALONG IT WAS NOTHING BUT A WASTE OF TIME?!_"

Solomon smirked, eyes shadowing, "Yes."

"_BASTARD_!" Natsu's hands caught flame and he lunged at the fear mage.

Solomon stood and dodged his swinging fists.

"_BECAUSE OF YOU,_" Natsu kicked out and Solomon leapt backwards to avoid it. "_LUCY HAD TO CRY BY HERSELF!"_

"No," Solomon laughed, "No! Not because of me! It was all because of _you_!"

"I'm going to _KILL _you!" Natsu breathed in and let out a swirling vortex of fire from his mouth.

Solomon ducked around it and darted in, landing a kick to the dragon slayer's chest, sending him soaring across the room. Natsu slammed against the wall next to the window. He slid to his knees and then grabbed the window sill to pull himself up. As he stood, something caught his eye outside.

He jerked his head and stared down past the wall of the fortress, to the open land just beyond.

"What the…"

Solomon went to the other window on the same wall. "Hmm…" he grinned. "Looks like they got here sooner than I anticipated."

"Lucy," Natsu whispered when he saw the blonde striking out with her whip and knocking back three dark mages that ran to meet her in the center of the battlefield. He made out the others as they emerged from the trees and lunged into the attack on Empty Ark. Gray made the ground in front of him ice. Juvia sent a tidal wave. Erza was equipped with her Purgatory armor, Sting and Rogue were already in their dragon force, Mirajane was in her demon soul and Elfman in his beast soul.

Natsu cursed. He thought he had a few days' lead on them. He had left for the main base directly after leaving Crocus. How had they managed to get organized and attack so soon? He paused. _Oh yeah_… it could be the fact that he walked the entire way there instead of braving the train. He sighed and smacked the palm of his hand on his forehead, "_Stupid motion sickness_!"

Solomon turned back to the pink haired man. "Well then, shall we hurry this up then? I'd like to present Lucy Heartfilia with yet another dead body when she arrives."

"Not this time," Natsu growled. "This time, _I'll_ be the one that kills _you_."

Solomon cackled, "You really think so? Very well. Let's see for ourselves, shall we?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: We're getting into it now, guys! Woo!<strong>

**Today my friends and I went and ate Mongolian food. MMMMmmmm delicious. And then we played Rock Band. Austria was on Guitar and I was on bass. Then Picole was on the mic. We picked a hard song for Picole and then told her to do it on expert. After a little bit of groaning and complaining she finally agreed by saying, "Well, if you're gonna suck... suck hard." And I nodded seriously and said, "Words to live by." Then Austria lost her shit and Picole screamed, "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAEAAAAEAEAEANTTTTTTT!" But it was too late. The damage was done.**

**Tracks:**

* * *

><p><strong>"Easy Come Easy Go" by Gin Wigmore<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>"I'm Only Joking" by the Kongos<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Suggested by Uzumaki Naho:<strong>

**"When You Sleep" by Mary Lambert**

**"I Found Myself" by Anna Clendening**

**"Wait for You" by Elliot Yamin**

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks everyone for everything! I know I say this after every chapter, but hey, I mean it every chapter! I'm so glad that so many people find joy from this silly story. :) Not that it's silly. But still. :P<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Lucy struck out with her whip, wrapping it around a water mage's throat. She yanked back, slamming his face to the ground with a crack. The battle had been raging for several minutes now. They were slowly making progress, cleaning the field out as they approached the walls of the guild.

Six men faced her and magic circles appeared in the palms of their hands.

"Out of my way," Lucy muttered and waved a key. "Virgo!"

Holes opened up underneath the men and they disappeared with shouts of surprise. Virgo burst from the ground beside the blonde. She clasped her hands before her and said, "You are making good progress, Princess."

"Thank you," Lucy sliced her whip across the face of a mage casting paper cranes in Levy's direction. "What is the count inside the walls?"

Virgo disappeared for a moment and then reappeared as Lucy ducked a boulder hurled at her head. "Over one hundred, Princess."

Lucy cursed, "They're endless, aren't they?"

"Would you like to punish me?"

"No," she waved her key and the pink haired spirit disappeared.

Erza blazed through a row of men gathering in front of Lucy, swinging her halberd with a battle cry. The way to the wooden gate of the stone wall was now clear.

Lucy whipped up another key, "Taurus!"

The giant bull appeared, letting out a moo and whirling his axe over his head.

"Elfman!" Lucy called over her shoulder.

The takeover mage didn't need an order. He and Taurus met up and then braced themselves.

"Ready?" Elfman asked, voice low and distorted in his beast form.

"Moo! Let's dooooo it!"

They lunged forward. Their two hulking bodies lurched towards the wall and then slammed into the gate, forcing it open and ripping the wood from the large cast iron hinges. They burst into the courtyard and instantly started tossing mages about with their powerful blows of fists and axe.

Lucy called forth Sagittarius and the spirit sent a barrage of arrows over the wall. Loke ran up to his mage from where he had been fighting alongside Bickslow.

"Ready?" he asked her.

She gave a firm nod and the two of them ran into the courtyard. Loke struck out with his Regulus, golden light erupting from his hands and mowing mages over as if they were leaves in a gust of wind. Lucy cracked her whip left and right, slamming mage against mage, throwing bodies against the wall and the ground like rag dolls.

"Lucy watch out!" Loke cried.

A blast of snow knocked the woman on her back, cracking her head on the stones. She grabbed a key and waved it, "Gemini!"

The mischievous little spirits appeared and flew in a figure eight. "Piri piri!" They instantly took the form of the mage that had attacked Lucy and sent a whirlwind of snow right back at him.

Lucy climbed to her feet, brushing the snow from the sleeve of her one armed jacket. She felt blood trickling down the nape of her neck and ignored it. She regrouped with Loke and glanced around the courtyard silently. Her eyes wandered over the front door of the guild and she bit the inside of her cheek. Rushing would only lead her into a larger nest of scum. They needed to clear a way before she could enter the fortress and find Solomon.

"Ungh!" Loke fell to one knee, clutching his head with both hands. Lucy raised her whip and searched for the attacker. Loke let out a cry and squeezed his eyes shut.

"_Shit_," Lucy cursed right before the fear hit her. Her spine turned cold and her knees quivered. Who? Who was casting the magic on her? Her eyes darted desperately through the mages surrounding, but none gave any hint as to who it could be. Mindless, baseless fear consumed her and she bit back tears, holding the sides of her face with quivering hands. She collapsed to her knees.

_"I didn't like… I _hated_ seeing you look so scared all the time." _Natsu's voice echoed in her head._ "Especially since there was nothin' I could do about it. I promise so long as I'm around, you won't have to feel scared anymore, got it?"_

Tears streamed down Lucy's cheeks. _But you're not around anymore, Natsu. You're not here and I'm scared… I'm scared… Oh God I'm so scared…_

"Lucy!" Sting and Rogue burst through the entrance of the courtyard. A burst of light and darkness swirled in front of her, taking out the ten mages that had started to advance on her inert form. Sting ran up to her and grabbed her wrists, hauling her to her feet.

"Snap out of it!" he shouted, giving her a shake.

She stared at him, teary eyed, fear lining her face.

"C'mon!" his eyebrows knit together. "Now's not the time to lose it! You've still got that bastard to kill! You can't give up before you even get there!"

"B-but…"

"Sure, it sucks right now…" he grinned cheerfully, "But right about now is when Natsu would get serious and make a comeback, right?"

The fear magic, although it was still focused on her, slowly started to fade. Lucy straightened and Sting released her wrists. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at the dragon slayer. "Yeah… that's how he kicked yours and Rogue's asses after all."

He frowned, "Hey…"

"You guys take care of these pawns," she turned. She through her mind's voice through the telepathy link Warren was holding up. _Doranbolt. Express shipping right to one psychopath's throne room, please._

A moment later, the teleportation mage appeared in front of her. He had shed the uniform of the council military and was wearing a simple red jacket and black pants.

"Let's go then," he said breathlessly, taking her hand.

"Good luck!" Sting called as they disappeared. He turned to the enemy mages, "Alright, who wants to tango?"

* * *

><p>Natsu flew across the room, slamming against the far wall, taking two paintings and a low table out as he slumped to the floor.<p>

Solomon sighed, "And here I thought maybe you had gotten a little stronger since our last clash."

"Shuddup!" Natsu climbed to his feet. "You can knock me down a thousand times and I'll still stand up!"

He rolled his eyes. "So this is what this fight is? A battle of stamina?"

"It's a battle you're going to lose!" Natsu ignited his hands and leapt towards him once more, shouting, "Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!" he swiped at Solomon but the mage disappeared, reappearing just behind him, spinning as his leg whipped out and crashed into his spine, crushing him to the floor.

"You're too slow!"

Natsu pushed to his feet, turning to face him once more. He panted, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

Solomon crossed his arms over his chest. "Really. You might as well just give it up. You can come at me over and over again but the result will be the same." His green eyes glinted, "You will eventually fall under my blade. And in the time I spend waiting for your sweet little girlfriend to show up, I'll entertain myself with carving your body up and hanging you from the ceiling so that you're the first thing she sees when she walks through that door." His grin was crazed. Veins bulged in the sides of his throat and all along his forehead. He licked his lips, "I can already taste her screams…"

Natsu's entire body burst into flames, "I won't let you make her cry ever again." Slowly, lightning started to ripple up his arms, crackling through the fire that engulfed him. "I'll kill you before you can cause any more damage to my family."

Solomon cocked an eyebrow, "Hm… lightning, huh? You better hope that makes you faster or else you're never going to make any—"

Natsu was in front of him in an instant. Solomon gasped and teleported across the room, but Natsu was there too. He cocked his fist back, roaring, "_LIGHTNING FLAME DRAGON'S FIRING HAMMER!" _he landed a devastating blow to Solomon's chin, sending him soaring across the room. He crashed into the throne and Natsu followed after him, ready to punch again.

Solomon teleported to the opposite side of the room, panting, eyes wide as he reached up and brushed the blood from his lips. Natsu's fist shattered the throne and blew a hole through the wall behind.

"You son of a bitch…" Solomon whispered. He clenched his teeth and materialized a green blade in his right hand. "_FINE! YOU WANT TO PLAY? LET'S PLAY!_" he held up his left hand in Natsu's direction.

"Natsu!" Lucy fell to the floor between them. She was tied, bloody, and bruised. Her blonde hair was chopped off just under her chin and she coughed thick, slimy blood onto the stones in front of her. Her face was swollen and her clothes were hanging from her body in tatters.

Solomon lifted his blade and approached the woman as she sobbed and begged for mercy.

The lightning receded from Natsu's flames and he sat gasping in the rubble of the throne.

"Stop," he choked out. "It… it doesn't smell like her. It's not her. It's just an illusion. I won't fall for it!"

Solomon smirked and slashed down with his blade, tearing the skin of her back open. Lucy screamed and fell onto her chest, revealing the wound and the wave of blood swamping down her sides.

"_STOP!_" Natsu roared, trying to climb to his feet. But his knees were too weak. _What is happening to me_? He reached out a shaky hand, "I know it's not real! It's just an illusion!"

"Do you really think that _matters_?" Solomon hissed. "Whether you know it's not real or not doesn't change the fact that you are utterly _terrified_ of this." He leaned down and grabbed a fistful of Lucy's hair, pulling her upwards. She screamed and begged him to stop, tears cleaning trails through the blood on her cheeks. He raised the blade and slashed it down, detaching her left arm from her shoulder.

Her screams echoed through the room, reverberating off of the stone walls and striking Natsu's eardrums, almost harming him physically.

"_STOOOOOOOOPPPPP!_" he pleaded, tears streaming down his cheeks. "_LEAVE HER ALONE!"_

"She's not _real_, Natsu Dragneel," Solomon sneered, eyes widening in excitement. "She's merely a figment of your imagination!"

"NO!" He tried to jump forward, but his legs were pudding. He crashed to the floor, body writhing and shaking in terror. His breath was shallow, adrenaline coursing too strongly through his veins. He was powerless. He couldn't move. He was too crippled by his fear.

_Is this what would happen in real life_? He sobbed into the floor. _If the real Lucy was before me, being tortured by this bastard right in front of my eyes… would I be this useless?_

No. He couldn't be this worthless. He just couldn't be. He tried once again to stand but the strength was gone from his body. He lit a small ball of fire in his hand and sent it Solomon's way, but the force of his throw was too weak and it fell short and sizzled out on the stone floors.

"No…" spots were swimming in his vision. "Please… _stop_…" He would do anything… give _anything_ to make him stop. To free that Lucy, real or not, from the pain she was enduring.

"_Stop_," he whispered. He couldn't stand to watch anymore. He hung his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "_Please… someone… help._"

The door of the room burst inwards.

Natsu jerked his head up at the massive cracking sound as it ripped at its hinges and hung limply off to the side. The illusive Lucy disappeared as Solomon turned his attention onto the person that strode into the room. The breath in Natsu's lungs fled his body and a sweet, honey smell attacked his senses.

He lay gasping as Lucy entered. Her hair was a mess, and blood stained the back of her head, but she looked otherwise unharmed. She still wore his one armed jacket, scarf tied loosely around her throat. Immediately upon entering, their eyes locked.

"L-Lucy…" he whispered.

She completely disregarded the dragon slayer sprawled out on the floor, no emotion showing on her face as she walked to the center of the room and turned to face Solomon.

Her voice was ice and fire as she hissed, "I have some business with you."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry guys, no time to edit. I'm a bit of a rush. I woke up and hurried to write this up because my aunt is coming in half an hour to pick me up and take me gambling for my birthday. Wooo! Baby gonna get drunk! So I hope this chapter isn't a total mess. I cringe just thinking about all of the potential mistakes it has... Ugh. Oh well. Nothing I can do. I'll just have to edit it tomorrow when I come home. And also write a new chapter... dang. You'd think not having a job would mean my life was relaxed and not busy at all. But it's totally not.<strong>

**Anyway, Sorry I'm so frazzle dazzled.**

**Until we meet again!**

**Love-Moo**


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 65

The room grew eerily silent after Lucy's announcement. Everyone was trying to collect themselves at the same time. Natsu pushed shakenly to his knees, leaning heavily on the palms of his quivering hands. She hadn't reacted to the sight of him. He was here, alive... and she wasn't even surprised?

Solomon let out a hefty sigh, "I was hoping I'd have time to kill him first before you got here…" he waved a hand in Natsu's direction.

"Cut the shit," Lucy snapped. "Your illusions won't work on me anymore. Natsu is dead."

Her statement hung in the air.

_She thinks I'm an illusion… _Natsu gulped. What should he do? Should he call out to her? Tell her he's alive? That he's real? But then he'd be a distraction. Then Solomon could use him against her. But he needed to fight alongside her… he tried to climb to his feet, but his legs gave out and he collapsed again. Help wasn't going to happen.

Lucy was on her own.

"You're mistaken," Solomon said. "He is _not _an illusion. That man over there is the _real_—"

Lucy cracked her whip in his direction. The tip left a shallow scratch in his cheek and he slapped his hand to cover it as a bead of blood rose to the surface. His eyes went wide.

"You really are a one trick pony, aren't you?" she said with a glare.

Solomon's jaw clenched and his green eyes darkened, flashing. "Won't believe me, will you? Fine then. I'll just—" He lifted his palm in her direction and held it there.

Natsu cut back a cry of warning. He was going to use his fear on her… _No, Lucy, run!_

Long seconds ticked by and nothing happened. Solomon's glare flicked to his hand and then back to Lucy.

"Wh-Why…" he took a faltering step backwards. "Why isn't it working?"

Lucy's dead gaze wandered lazily over the bodies of her guild mates hanging limply from nooses around the room.

"It's amazing," she said, voice low. Her eyes fell on Wendy's mutilated body and her hands clenched tight into fists. The handle of her whip creaked in complaint. "It's just _amazing _how I can tell you over and over again and you still won't believe me." She locked her stare on Solomon. "_Your illusions are powerless._"

"B-but," he waved his hand and a brutal scene of torture acted out in the space between them. Erza screamed and sobbed for help. When Lucy showed no reaction once again, his teeth gritted. "_BUT HOW_?" He waved his hand again and again, thrusting new and progressively more horrible illusions before her. "_HOW ARE YOU NOT BEING AFFECTED?_" His face had taken on a wild desperation, sweat lining his brow as he exhausted his magical energy.

Lucy cracked her whip at him and he leapt back to avoid it. "When you've lived your greatest fear," she said, eyes clouding over, "nothing else seems to scare you." She stepped forward and swiped again in his direction with her weapon.

A gash opened up on Solomon's chest and he cried out. A green blade that dripped shadows materialized in his right hand. He didn't cease his barrage of illusions, despite Lucy's indifference to the cries of her friends and family. She continued to advance on him, slashing left and right, leaving bright, oozing lacerations all over his body.

Natsu appeared before her, just as she had last seen him. A gaping hole in his abdomen, blood pouring from his mouth, eyes sad even as he tried to smile weakly for her.

Lucy gulped and gritted her teeth. She sent the whip flying through the illusion, turning it to a puff of smoke that receded to the ceiling of the room.

"_YOUR MAGIC IS PATHETIC_!" she screamed.

Solomon stumbled back at the blow to his face. He covered the bleeding cut, eyes wild, panting heavily.

Lucy let out a humorless chuckle, "Honestly… you have less than one tenth the power your brother had."

Solomon's anger erupted. His eyes bulged and he dropped his bloody hand from the wound on his face. The blood dripped over his lips and into his teeth, staining them pink.

"_You know nothing about my brother_!" he shrieked. "_He was weak! He was worthless! I gave him a reason to exist and he threw it all away to leave with that BASTARD Kieran and his cunt wife!_"

"If you think so low of him, why did you come after me once you found out he was dead?" Lucy shouted. "If you hate him _so much_, then why did you bother with me?" Her rage was getting the best of her. Her hands were shaking so violently that the whip was writhing on the floor at her feet.

Solomon laughed maniacally, throwing his head back to send his laughter to the ceiling. He jerked back down and pointed at her, "I came after you because _I was supposed to be the one to kill him! _He was _my _property! And you _pissed _all over it!" He lifted his hands in a shrug, blade hanging loosely through his fingers, eyes bugging out of his head, blood mixed with saliva bubbling out of the corner of his mouth. "It's only natural that I'd need your head on a platter for killing my precious, sweet, _demented little brother_."

Lucy sighed, rubbing her eyes with a trembling hand. "I may have been the cause of your brother's death. But I didn't kill him. Let's get that straight."

"What are you talking about?" Solomon's shoulders slumped, left eye twitching out of control.

"I didn't kill your brother," she raised the whip and cracked it. "I merely gave Natsu the means to."

"That…" Solomon's eyes shifted over her head at the dragon slayer on his knees on the other side of the room. "That pink haired bastard… _he _killed Azamin?"

"That's right. The only blood to dirty my hands," her brown eyes flashed and darkened, "will be yours."

He gritted his teeth. "So I miscalculated. Fine. You'll both die anyway." He raised his blade. "I've played with you long enough."

"I agree," she whispered.

Solomon threw the blade at the same time Lucy cracked her whip forward.

_NO_, Natsu pushed to his feet. _Not again… I have to stop it… before it… before it…_

The weapon ran a straight course, pointed directly at Lucy's heart. Solomon's tight face twisted up into a sneer.

"L-Lu—" Natsu reached a hand out.

Lucy's whip connected and wrapped three times around Solomon's throat.

The blade disappeared.

Solomon grabbed the leather rope, eyes widening. "Wh-why—" he choked out, voice strained and shallow. He waved a hand, but no weapon materialized into his palm. "_Where… did my," _he coughed, "_magic power…_"

Lucy tugged on the whip, tightening her hold on his throat. "I had this whip made special, just for you, Solomon," she said quietly. "Want to know what it's made from?"

His eyes rolled back in his head and he scrabbled his fingers at his neck.

Tears filled Lucy's eyes and she tugged again. He took a shaky step in her direction. "Nullification rope. Straight from the Celestial Spirit world. This is the same rope I planned to capture your brother with. The same rope he modified and used to imprison and torture Natsu." She yanked and he smashed to his knees, head straining in her direction like a stubborn dog on a leash.

She bit her lip, forcing herself to watch as he writhed and struggled wildly. "I had my spirits retrieve it after we escaped," she continued softly. "I thought it was maybe to prevent anyone else from using it. But maybe I always knew something like this would happen." She pulled again and he slammed to his chest on the floor.

He was growing weaker and weaker by the second. His face was turning a ghastly purple. Tears slipped down Lucy's cheeks.

_Keep watching_, she ordered herself, pulling the whip tighter still.

In the final throes of Solomon's life, his dulled eyes found hers at the end of the tool of his downfall. Horror thrilled up her spine at the stare.

Before his soul was ejected from his body, her soft words found his ears.

"L-Life is a gift," she gulped, chin trembling. "A gift you don't deserve to have." She gave one last tug as she watched the life completely leave him.

The whip slipped out of her hands and clattered to the floor.

"I will not regret," she whispered just as her knees gave out.

Natsu lunged across the room. He caught her weight, sliding to the floor with her back pressed against his chest, arms wrapped firmly around her waist.

Lucy's heart stopped dead in her chest as she stared at the legs stretched out on either side of her thighs. An incredible, all-encompassing warmth, a warmth as familiar to her as her own name, surrounded her. She took in an unsteady breath and reached a hand up to touch the jeans at the bend of the knee. The rough fabric said nothing to her sore fingers but it was real. The arms around her waist tightened and she felt warm breath feather the back of her neck.

A voice came, soft and low, "You know what this means, Lucy?"

Lucy's eyes blurred and she squeezed them shut as the tears started to fall.

"I caught you," Natsu whispered. "You're mine forever."

She covered the arms with her own and sunk down against the body that cradled her. The sobbing that came next shook her entire being. Natsu buried his face in the crook of her neck and cried with her, drowning in his relief and her honey scent.

"You're not real," Lucy sobbed. "You died. I watched you… I watched you…"

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I wish I could've told you. But…"

"You can't be real…" she turned in his grasp and hugged his right arm, hiding her face in his shoulder, too terrified to look into his face and find another illusion. "I can't lose you again. Please say you're not real…"

"Sorry," he pressed his lips to the top of her head. "I can't do that."

She shook her head, refusing to take his words. "I don't believe you. You're dead. I watched you die. I cried for you. For weeks… I cried for you. You… you're dead…"

How was he supposed to make her believe that he was real? That he was alive. The same Natsu that she had known for years. That had been by her side through the best and worst of times. That killed for her.

The same Natsu that was desperately in love with her.

Natsu gulped and started to hum.

Lucy opened her eyes, breath catching in her throat.

The notes were off and the beat was too slow… but it was her mother's song. Her heart slowly began to quicken, warmth broke through and she straightened away from him. Her eyes locked with his.

"N-Natsu…" she whispered. She reached her hands up and tentatively touched his cheeks. He smiled, eyes squinting shut.

"Heya Lucy," he said.

Fresh tears pooled down her cheeks and she cupped his face in her hands. "You're alive," she said. "You're alive. You're actually _alive_."

"That's right," he reached out and brushed his fingers through her hair.

Lucy swallowed and sucked in a deep breath. She pulled her right hand back and then snapped it forward, landing a solid punch in his chin and sending him back a few meters across the room.

"_WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE ALIVE?_" she roared, fury blazing across her flushed cheeks. "_WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THIS TIME? DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH I CRIED OVER YOU? I WAS DEHYDRATED FOR A WEEK! WAS THAT ALL FOR NOTHING YOU SON OF A BITCH?_"

Natsu sat up, rubbing his chin, "I'm sorry!" he sighed and crossed his legs under him, resting his hands in his lap. "And no… your tears… weren't for nothing…" He gulped and stared at the floor. He told her everything then. She crawled back up to him and sobbed into his lap when he told her about Kieran's sacrifice.

Natsu stroked her hair, continuing on with telling her about taking out Empty Ark's bases. When he told her about seeing her through the fountain in Crocus, she sat up and started beating on his chest with her fists.

"_You were there! You could have come out! Why'd you torture me like that_?"

"I'm sorry!" he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap, holding her tight against his chest, stilling her complaints. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, turning so that Solomon's body was hidden behind his back. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry for the pain you and the rest of the guild had to endure because of me." He smiled gently, "But when I heard that you were collecting an army for me… bringing everyone together for me… it made me happy."

Heat flared over her face, "Well… everyone felt the same as me. There was no way we could just stand by and ignore Empty Ark after…" She cleared her throat, "Anyway…"

He rubbed his cheek against her hair tenderly.

"A-anyway," she struggled in his arms, face bright red. "What you said earlier… about… about c-catching me… well the thing is that you were supposed to catch me within twenty-four hours, and you didn't do that. So technically you failed—"

"You didn't tell me those rules!" he argued with a frown.

She shook her head, "Well I'm telling you now!"

"That's not fair. You can't just change your mind about a bet you made with _forever _and _never _included in the terms."

"Sure I can," she pulled against him, "Lemme go! We still have to help the others!"

"Hold up a second! I've still got things I need to say to you!" His arms tightened around her.

Lucy stopped struggling, peeking up at him under her bangs. "Th-things to say? L-like what?"

He gulped, cheeks burning. "Okay…" he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. "So…" he let out an exasperated sigh. "Jeez… I don't know how to do this kind of stuff."

"Wh-what kind of stuff?" her heart was leaping against her ribcage.

He gulped again, "Ah… I'll just… maybe I should just try to explain it… like…" He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a growl of frustration.

"Ah," he opened his eyes again. "_Fuck it_."

Lucy didn't have the chance to even take a breath before he lowered his mouth to hers. His lips were hot and tentative and he…

…missed.

He missed.

Instead of kissing her full on the mouth, he got her at an angle, in the corner of her lips, brushing mostly chin. He pulled back, face an unhealthy shade of mortified red.

"W-wait a sec. Lemme try it again," he cleared his throat and hesitated, taking several deep breaths. Lucy was frozen, staring up at him with wide brown eyes, cheeks flushed, lips slightly parted in surprise.

"H-hold up," he said again, covering his face with a quivering hand. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat and sweat was dripping down his temples. "J-Jeez," he lowered his hand, staring off across the room in embarrassment. "This… this is way hard." He glanced down at her and took a deep breath, "Okay, lemme try it again."

He slid his hand against her jaw, lacing his fingers in her hair beyond her ear. He swallowed, "D-don't move…"

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and waited with breathless impatience.

His hand gently nudged her chin, tipping her head back to give him better access to her waiting lips. _You can do this, you can do this_, he chanted silently as he stared down at her. She wasn't fighting him. She wasn't rejecting him. She knew what he was trying to do and she was completely okay with it.

_D-does that mean she likes me? _His mind drifted off for a moment. _Like… like-likes me? Or does she just feel kinda sorry for me because I was alone for a while and everyone thought I was dead and… _He shook his head. _Snap out of it! Just do it!_

He lowered his head again, eyes closed.

This time, his lips landed on the tender skin just below her nose, only managing to catch half of her top lip.

Natsu tossed Lucy off of him, fire bursting from his mouth as he let out a frustrated "RAHHHH!" and slammed onto his back on the floor. "_I CAN'T DO IT_!" he covered his face and kicked his legs up and down.

Lucy sat up, stunned from his sudden outburst. She stared as the dragon slayer threw his tantrum.

"_I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS!_" he went on. "_IGNEEL DIDN'T TEACH ME NOTHING ABOUT KISSING GIRLS_!"

Lucy covered her mouth to muffle the sudden bout of giggles that struck her. She crawled up to him as he draped his arms over his face and groaned. She rested a hand on his stomach and he instantly stopped whining. She reached up and pulled his arms away. He avoided her stare, face still bright red.

"It's okay," she said quietly. She tugged on the front of his jacket. "Sit up," she ordered.

He did as she said, placing his palms on the floor between his legs, staring off across the room. She scooted closer, climbing over one of his legs to kneel in front of him. He blinked rapidly when she reached out and laid her hand against his cheek, forcing him to face her. He gulped as she smiled shyly up at him.

"You don't have to stress out about it," she whispered. She leaned forward, "Because… it takes two to kiss, after all."

Natsu held his breath as she neared. Her eyes slid closed and he followed suit, heart racing in his chest. Her other hand reached up and she cupped his face, holding it still as she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips gently to his.

And she didn't miss.

Natsu's head just about exploded. His entire body burst into flames and Lucy gave a little shriek of surprise, jumping away from the fire that engulfed him.

"Sorry!" he snuffed the flames out quickly. "Sorry," he reached out to her, "let's… let's try that again."

"No way!" she swatted at his hands. "I don't want to get roasted!"

Natsu's hands hooked under her bottom and he yanked her onto his lap so that she straddled his hips.

"You bastard!" Lucy tried to smack him, but his mouth covered hers once more, silencing her cries of protest. Her anger shriveled up inside her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into his chest.

Natsu clutched her tightly around the waist, locking his arms to keep her in place. He dragged the kiss out as long as he could before he felt the flames building up inside him again. Before they could burst to the surface, he broke away and quickly hid his face against Lucy's shoulder.

"I love you," he whispered.

Lucy's breath caught.

"When I'm not with you, I'm empty. When I see you, you fill me up. With so many things. Happiness mostly. And saying goodbye to you is the hardest thing I do. I'd rather take on an entire dark guild than have to say bye to you. I want to be with you always," the words were flowing from his mouth. "And so even if what you said is true and I fucked up with the bet and didn't catch you in time, it doesn't matter because I'll spend the rest of my life chasing you if I have to. I will chase you to the other side of the world and if I haven't caught you by the end of my life, I'll chase you through the stars. Even if I have to yank Loke or Virgo or that Mustache guy from their constellations and force them to help me. I'll do it. Because I want to be by your side for the rest of forever and I hope that's okay."

Lucy felt lightheaded. She took a few seconds to concentrate on breathing.

Natsu's grip tightened around her.

"Please say something," his voice was small.

Lucy covertly wiped the tears that formed in her eyes.

When she still didn't say anything for another long minute, Natsu started to lean back.

"Why won't you say any—"

"Stupid! Don't look at me!" she shoved his face back into her shoulder, but not before he got a good look at her bloodshot, puffy eyes.

"Why you cryin'? Did I fuck up again? Did I say something wrong? What did I do? I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I didn't even know I did something wrong! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

Lucy laughed, "Stupid…" she sat back, still wiping the moisture from her cheeks. "You didn't do anything wrong. You… you said all the most perfect things and… I was just shocked."

He stared at her.

She sighed and stared down at his chest, "You don't need to chase me. Instead… hold my hand." She peeked up at him. "Hold my hand to the other side of the world and then at the end of our lives, hold my hand through the stars. Okay?"

Natsu's mouth hung open.

She laughed again and gently nudged his jaw back in place. She then leaned forward and pressed a tentative kiss to his lips.

"I love you, Natsu Dragneel," she whispered.

Natsu caught on fire and Lucy leapt off him, screaming.

"Sorry!" he snuffed out the flames and held his hand out. "Sorry! Please come back! I want to do that again…"

"No way!" she jumped to her feet and ran across the room, forcing him to get up and run after her.

"You said I wouldn't have to chase you!" he whined.

"Learn to control your body and I'll let you kiss me again!" she ran out of the room and into the hallway.

Natsu caught her and pushed her gently up against the wall. He placed the palms of his hands on either side of her head and pressed his body against hers to keep her from fleeing again. Lucy gasped at his sudden burst of confidence as he grinned mischievously and leaned forward. He kissed her softly, despite his aggressive stance. When he leaned back again, both of their faces bright red and they shuffled their feet awkwardly.

The sound of someone clearing his throat drew their attention. The mage that had led Natsu to Solomon's room stood across the hall, watching them dully.

"Fuck," Natsu placed himself between the mage and Lucy. "I totally forgot where we were…"

"Oh yeah," Lucy groaned. "We still have a war to finish…"

Natsu grinned, "Alright… I'm all fired up."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I meant to write and post this yesterday, but the previous night's merriment in the casino resulted in an all day hangover. And I didn't want to write with that kind of negativity hanging on my mind.<strong>

**Can you believe they finally did it? Was it everything you ever wanted? No? Oh well. No backsies. Holy cow. I'm exhausted. I almost dozed off in the middle of editing this. (And by editing, I mean rereading and hoping my eyes catch any mistakes it may have)**

**It doesn't help that I'm in bed with the lights off and my music on (My usual sleeping environment). So now that this chapter is finally done, I think I'll take a nap. And hopefully not wake up until tomorrow.**

**By the way, sorry to the people I haven't messaged back. Remember a little ways back when I said I suck? Yeah... still stands. Enjoy some music in the meantime.**

**TRACKS!:**

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><p><strong>"Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation (Have I suggested this before? I really can't remember. Oh well. Still works)<strong>

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><p><strong>"Words as Weapons" by Birdy<strong>

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><p><strong>"Vardeldur" by Sigur Ros<strong>

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><p><strong>"Missing" by The xx<strong>

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><p><strong>"Home" by Daughter<strong>

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><p><strong>"More Than Life" by Whitley<strong>

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><p><strong>"Last Day on Earth" by Kate Miller-Heidke<strong>

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><p><strong>"Cosmic Love" by Florence &amp; the Machine<strong>

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><p><strong>"Lucky" by Kat Edmonson<strong>

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><p><strong>Suggested by mtopping1992:<strong>

**"Watch Over You" by Alter Bridge**

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><p><strong>Welp, that's all! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. We'll see what happens next. ;) Time for a nap right now though.<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 66

"All of the others left the guild hall," the Empty Ark mage said. "They're fighting your allies out in the courtyard as we speak. Your friends could use your help. They are greatly outnumbered."

"Like that ever mattered to Fairy Tail," Natsu scoffed.

The mage nodded, "Still. I'm sure you'd like to take this reunion back home." Lucy and Natsu's faces burned. "So the sooner you help them… the better."

Natsu took Lucy's hand and leveled the mage with a stare, "I was right for deciding to spare you."

He cocked an eyebrow as the two Fairy Tail mages turned and hurried down the hall. After they turned the corner and vanished from sight, he stood in the entrance of Solomon's throne room. He walked up to the inert body of Empty Ark's master and stood over it. He _hmmm_-ed and knelt down to search for a pulse. When he found none, he stood once more and let out a heavy sigh.

"It's over," he whispered. He reached inside his cloak and pulled out a locket hanging on a chain around his neck. He popped open the silver oval and peered down into a faded photograph of a woman with a bright smile and graying red hair. He smiled gently, "I'll return the guild back to its original glory. You can count on me, Joy."

* * *

><p>"Holy shit there's a lot of them!" Lucy cried as she caught a glimpse of the courtyard through a window they ran past.<p>

"That's nothing!" Natsu squeezed her hand, "I can take them all out on my own!"

She laughed, "Sure! Then why didn't you do that instead of sneaking in?"

"W-Well that was because I wanted to be like ninja!" he defended. "That's all!"

"_Sure_," Lucy grinned. Happiness was swelling up in her chest, clouding her senses. She couldn't even feel nervous about the upcoming battle with the hundreds of enemy mages.

"Let's get down there quick and start knocking heads!" Natsu threw his free hand in the air, clenched in a fist.

An idea struck Lucy.

"Hold on, Natsu. We might be able to end this battle a lot quicker."

"Hm?" he slowed and turned to her, "How?"

"We gotta get somewhere high outside."

"Like the wall?"

"Or…" Lucy glanced down the hall. She spotted another window and pulled Natsu to it. She glanced outside and saw that there was a shingled ledge outside of it. "Right here," she said. She wrapped the end of Natsu's scarf around her left elbow and then slammed it into the glass, shattering it. She unwrapped the scarf and grinned up at Natsu.

He was staring down at her with wide eyes, mouth gaping open. She cocked her head to the side, "Why're you looking at me like that?"

He leaned forward suddenly and kissed her. Lucy jumped back and shoved him away, face blazing red.

"Y-you can't just keep doing that whenever you want!" she covered her mouth with her wrist and looked away.

"Sorry," he grinned cheerfully, "I just got the sudden urge after seein' you do something ultra sexy."

She grumbled, "I should've known breaking windows would seem sexy to you…"

"Alright!" Natsu stuck a leg out the window and climbed out of the guild and onto the ledge. He then turned and offered his hand to her.

She took it and he helped her out beside him.

"'Kay," Natsu cracked his knuckles, fists catching on fire. "So, what do we do now?"

Lucy peered over the side at the battle raging on down below. She spotted most of Fairy Tail and their allies, excluding Gildarts and the others they left out in the woods. She gulped and bit her lip. _I hope they're doing alright…_ There was no way she would be able to create an attack big enough to include them.

Unless…

Lucy looked at Natsu. He was obviously impatient to get into the battle. He stared down into the courtyard longingly. She pursed her lips and let out a deep breath. _Learning how to call down Urano Metria without a long lead up is great and all, _she thought, _But even with the full force of that move, I'll probably only hit half of the courtyard._ She watched Natsu as he scratched the back of his head and leaned farther forward. _And I really wanted to show off my new power to him…_ she blinked. _Unless we can…_

"Natsu," she said softly.

"Hm?" he glanced up at her. She suddenly had this serious look on her face. He moved closer, "What's wrong?"

"You want a grand entrance back into the world of the living, right?" she asked.

He grinned, "Totally!"

"And you trust me, right?"

"Of course!"

"And we've been together for a long time now."

"Yeah…"

She took a deep breath and reached out. She took both of his hands and held them close to her chest. "Then… let's combine our power."

"Combine…" he blinked at her. Understanding crossed his face, "You mean… in that way?"

She nodded.

He grinned, "Fuck yeah."

"Now… it might not work… so we gotta have a back-up plan—"

He pulled her close and silenced her by covering her mouth with his. Her face flared up and after a long moment he pulled back.

"It's gonna work," he whispered.

Lucy glared at him, "Do that again and I'll toss you off this roof."

He grinned and turned to the courtyard. "Alright, let's do this."

They clasped their hands tightly, creating a bridge between them to share and combine their magic energy. Natsu's body caught fire and it spread to Lucy's. She closed her eyes and let the flames roll over her skin, trusting that they wouldn't burn her. When they were both encased in the cover of fire, Lucy's eyes opened again.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Fuck yeah," he answered, mouth stretching wide in a wild grin. Lucy's right hand was clasped tightly in his left, fingers entwined. Their other arms opened wide and they turned their faces to the sky.

Simultaneously, they shouted, "_FIRE DRAGON'S URANO METRIA!_"

A colossal red magic circle appeared in the sky that stretched over the entire guild hall and a kilometer into the forest on all sides. Lucy and Natsu felt the burst of power course through their bodies as huge, flaming spheres dropped from the heavens and soared down to Earthland.

Natsu gasped, "S-so this is what it feels to bring down the heavens…"

Lucy smiled and closed her eyes, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"It feels a lot like when we kiss."

Lucy's eyes popped back open and if she wasn't already on fire, she would've surely burst into flames.

She cleared her throat and turned her face away, "_Sh-shut up_."

* * *

><p>Everyone in the courtyard had frozen at the appearance of the immense magic circle above them.<p>

"_What the hell is that?_" Gray exclaimed, pressing his back to Juvia's. Erza, Carla, and Wendy ran up to them, staring up at the sky as giant orbs emerged from the magic circle.

Gajeel joined them as well, Levy under his arm.

"Gajeel! Let me go!" she commanded.

"Shut up, Squirt," he replied. "It ain't safe."

"Isn't that…" Erza's eyes went wide.

"Urano Metria?" Levy finished, mouth dropping open.

"You mean Lucy's finishing move?" Wendy jerked her head left and right, searching for the celestial spirit mage. "But where is she?"

"Why is it so big?" Juvia asked.

"Wait," Gajeel scowled as the orbs dropped. "Are those…"

"_Flames_?" everyone said at once.

Erza gasped, "_Unison Raid._"

"What?" Gray turned to her. "_Are you serious_? But… with _who_?"

The group screamed and dove to the ground as the balls of fire crashed down into the courtyard, sending dark mages flying. The attack avoided any Fairy Tail or allied mage and specifically targeted the enemy. Bodies soared through the air, shrieking. Many dark mages tried to turn and run, but the magic circle was too large. Its circumference covered any hiding spot they could think to run to.

After a minute or two of constant bombarding, every single dark mage was unconscious and the magic circle flashed with a golden light before disappearing.

Erza and the others picked themselves up and brushed off their knees, looking around for the source of the magic that singlehandedly wiped out hundreds of enemies in one move.

"LOOK!" Levy screamed, pointing towards the guild hall. The allied mages all turned to follow her finger.

Lucy stood on the ledge outside of the guild several stories up. But that wasn't the thing that sent a hush over the courtyard. No one could speak when they caught sight of the pink haired man clutching her hand at her side.

After a long, tensed moment, Sting made the first outburst.

"NATSU-SAN!" He threw his arms out wide, tears in the corners of his eyes.

"It can't be…" Erza whispered.

"This is some kind of trick, right?" Gray asked, gripping his hair with his hands as he stared wide-eyed up at the two mages.

"_GRAY_!" Natsu's voice boomed over the courtyard. "_FIGHT ME_!"

Everyone started laughing and cheering at the same time.

"_NATSU_!" the tired, battered mages danced and hugged and squealed with joy.

"NATSU!" Happy bulleted across the courtyard and up the side of the guild hall.

"HAPPY!" Natsu released Lucy's hand and jumped from the ledge, arms wide as he fell to meet his old friend.

Lucy's knees gave out and she collapsed on the shingles, panting. She watched as Happy caught Natsu by the front of his jacket. Natsu wrapped his arms around his tiny blue body and they flew around, laughing and crying.

Lucy smiled, wiping the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes.

"Need a ride?" a deep voice asked behind her.

She turned and saw Pantherlily in his battle form, wings spread wide on his back.

"That sounds wonderful," she replied, standing shakily. He wrapped an arm around her and flew her down to the courtyard, where everyone ran to meet her. They sieged her with questions, and she laughed, answering none of them.

_Natsu's alive_! Warren sent the message through everyone's mind. Within seconds, Master Makarov, in his giant form, came crashing through the trees and stepped over the wall into the courtyard. In his arms he carried the bedraggled, limp bodies of Gildarts, Jura, Jellal, and Laxus. At the sight of the fire dragon slayer frolicking through the air with his flying blue cat, the giant dropped the tired mages from his arms and swiped them from the sky, roaring in his impossibly deep voice,

"_MY CHILD IS ALIVE_!"

Natsu let out a yelp as Makarov hugged him tightly against his chest.

"He said as he just tossed his _real _grandchild to the ground," Laxus grumbled.

Gildarts climbed to his feet, "NATSU!" he grabbed onto Makarov's pant leg and scrabbled up to his chest where he joined the master in crushing the poor dragon slayer's bones. Happy popped out from the battle of love and flew back down to the courtyard, eyes spinning circles. He flew to Lucy and collapsed into her arms.

"I saw my life flash before my eyes, Lucy," he said woozily.

She giggled and hugged him. "You might have to wait until the big guys are done before you can get close to Natsu again."

Tears filled the cat's eyes once more and he stared up at her, "I can't believe he's alive…"

Lucy blinked rapidly and hid her face against his blue fur. "I know… neither can I."

Erza, Lisanna, Mirajane, Wendy, and Cana all jumped at Makarov's feet, "Drop him down here so we can have a turn too, Master!" Erza demanded.

"_SHUT UP_!" Makarov's booming voice commanded. "_CAN'T A FATHER CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF HIS CHILD_ _WITHOUT BEING INTERRUPTED?_"

Gray walked up to Lucy, hands in the pockets of his jeans. She pulled back from Happy and wiped her tears. The cat hugged her chest, resting his face in her bosom.

"So," he said softly. "How did it go with Solomon?"

She glanced at him and then away, biting her lip.

"He's… dead."

Gray nodded, "You did the right thing."

She sighed, "I know. It doesn't make it easier though."

Gray put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug, "It'll get easier with time. Soon, this will all just be a distant memory."

"_HEY_!" Natsu roared.

Gray and Lucy glanced up at the dragon slayer. He looked like a rag doll in Makarov's grip. He was glaring daggers down at Gray, arms hanging limply over the giant's forearm.

"_GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY GIRLFRIEND, ICE FREAK!_"

Every single jaw dropped in the courtyard.

_"EHHHHHHHH?"_

"Oh Jeez," Lucy covered her face with her hand.

"_YES_!" Erza screamed with excitement, smacking her hands to her cheeks. "_IT'S STILL SPRING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!_" She threw her arms out wide.

"From dead to dating in five minutes," Elfman crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "Now that's manly."

"_OOHHHHHHH_," streams of tears jetted out of Makarov's eyes. "_I'M SO HAPPYYYYY…_"

"Tsk," Evergreen bit her thumbnail. "Lost to Bisca _and _Lucy…"

"Congratulations Love Rival!" Juvia clapped her hands happily. "Or… _former _love rival."

Mirajane and Lisanna held hands and jumped up and down, squealing excitedly.

"I'm so happy for you two!" Wendy said.

"Natsu you idiot!" Lucy exclaimed, face blazing red. "You can't just make that decision on your own! You're supposed to talk it out with your partner first!"

"Oh!" Natsu blinked. He looked up at Makarov. "Hey Gramps, could you put me down? I gotta ask Lucy somethin'."

Gildarts jumped down to the ground and Makarov lowered the dragon slayer to his feet. Everyone cleared a path for him as he walked confidently through the crowd. Lucy's eyes went wide and she took a step back as he neared.

Gray grabbed Happy from her arms and stepped away, grinning.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Lucy asked as Natsu stopped in front of her.

Without a word, he dropped to one knee.

The crowd erupted in thrilled screams. Lucy tried desperately to keep her soul from fleeing her body.

"Lucy Heartfilia," Natsu said, voice rising above the excitement that was bursting around them.

"What the _fuck _are you _doing_?" she hissed, eyes as big as saucers. "N-Natsu… this is just so… sudden. I mean… We… we can't…"

"Lucy Heartfilia," he said again, covering his heart with his hand. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"O-oh…" she breathed out a sigh of relief. "Is that all? That's not what I was expecting…"

"—And then further down the line, marry me and have thirty-three of my babies?" he finished.

Lucy's soul drifted up from her mouth.

"That's the way to do it, Natsu!" Erza gave him a thumbs up and a wink.

"Super manly!" Elfman agreed, flexing.

"Tsk," Evergreen looked away, "So romantic… how am going to follow that…"

Lisanna and Mirajane hugged, squealing.

"Oh," Wendy blinked. "I'm _so happy for you two_!"

"_JEALOUS_…" Juvia's eyes took on a haunting glint.

"Not so fast!" Loke appeared at Lucy's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her waist and chuckled, flipping his hair. "A wild suitor has appeared!" he smirked. "I _too _wish to marry and have thirty-three babies with—"

Natsu breathed fire all over the lion spirit, charring him black.

Loke cleared his throat and pushed his sunglasses up his nose calmly. Gray burst out laughing, clutching his abdomen. "Natsu used Fire Dragon's Roar," he said between laughs. "It was super effective."

Loke sighed and released Lucy. "Very well. I shall relent for now." He stepped back.

Natsu reached out and took Lucy's hand, squeezing her awake again.

She stared down at him, blushing furiously. She gulped and looked away, "I… I'll be your girlfriend. But the other stuff is still up for debate."

Everyone cheered as Natsu grinned and stood. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Lucy put her hands on his shoulders tentatively, all too aware of the audience that held their breath and leaned forward.

After a long moment of nothing, Erza barked, "_JUST KISS ALREADY, GOD DAMN IT!_"

Natsu gulped, staring down into Lucy's wide brown eyes. _Just ignore everyone else_, he thought and slowly lowered his head down to hers. His lips quivered and searched and…

…missed.

He missed.

_Again_.

Sting exploded with laughter, "_DID HE SERIOUSLY JUST MISS HER MOUTH?_"

"It would seem that he did," Rogue nodded seriously, eyes closed.

"_BAHAHA! WHAT A LOSER, NATSU-SAN!_"

"SHUT UP!" Natsu jumped at the dragon slayer. "_YOU'RE TEN YEARS TOO EARLY TO THINK YOU CAN TALK TO ME THAT WAY!_"

"How wonderful, Natsu," Erza wiped a single tear from her eye.

Jellal stood next to her, sighing, _He got closer than I did back when…_ Erza glanced up at him and he quickly looked away, cheeks turning red.

"_NATSU_!" Lucy screeched over the rising laughter.

The pink haired fire dragon paused, fist hanging in the air above Sting's face as he held the still cackling light dragon by the collar of his shirt.

"Get your ass back over here and do it properly before I take back what I said!" she demanded, avoiding his eyes.

Natsu dropped Sting to the ground and then rushed back to her. He didn't hesitate before scooping her up in his arms, crushing her against his chest and lifting her off of her feet. She threw her arms around his neck and their lips met.

"_YEAH_!" everyone roared collectively.

They drowned in the kiss for long seconds before Lucy finally pulled back, eyes hazy. Natsu stared up at her and smiled softly.

"_Like pulling the heavens from the sky_," he whispered.

Heat blew through her skull and she looked away, "Oh shut up."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Wha-what? That's right. Did you really think I wasn't going to throw a unison raid in there? COME ON! YOU KNOW ME BETTER THAN THAT. We're winding down now, friends. I was going to end it in the next chapter, but I feel kinda guilty about having so little romance between Natsu and Lucy throughout these 60 chapters. So I'll probably add some fluffy fluff chapters as a gift to you guys. I hope they turn out alright. ;)<strong>

**TRACKS!:**

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><p><strong>"Saturn" by Sleeping at Last (Guys this song is just so perfect for this chapter and the entire story in general. It gives me chills to listen to it. I really hope you take the time to look it up. It's absolutely gorgeous.)<strong>

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><p><strong>"How We Love" by Ingrid Michaelson<strong>

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><p><strong>"Only If For a Night" by Florence &amp; the Machine<strong>

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><p><strong>I love you all! Thanks for sticking with me for so long! Much fluff is to come!<strong>

**Love-Moo**


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Sting burst into the guild hall, hair still wet from his shower, "Natsu-san! Let's have a fight to celebrate your return!"

"Oh hello, Sting," Mirajane greeted the dragon slayer cheerfully as she passed beer around a table. "Would you like something to drink?"

"I want to drink with Natsu-san!" he replied. "Where is he?"

"He went home to shower and change," she said.

"Oh, so he'll probably come in a little bit, right?" he passed her into the guild hall. "Okay, I'll just wait then."

Rogue entered behind him, glancing around silently.

"Hello Rogue," Mirajane greeted him with the same cheerful smile as she did everyone.

His eyes fell on Gajeel across the hall where he sat next to Levy, a perplexed look on his face as she tried to explain something from the book she held in her hands.

Rogue looked away, twiddling his thumbs, "There he is. So I should challenge him, right? That's what you're supposed to do, right? Hmmm…"

"Would you like something to drink?" Mirajane giggled.

"N-no," he straightened and passed her into the guild hall, "Thank you. But I must be at my best for when I gain the courage to challenge Gajeel-san."

Gildarts leaned on the bar next to Bacchus, "So you're the Quatro Puppy that I need to kill, eh?"

"Haah?" Bacchus stared up at the man with hazy eyes. "Did you say something old man?"

"You stole Cana's top during the Grand Magic Games, didn't you?" Gildarts leaned closer, vein in his forehead bulging.

"Huh? Oh yeah!" Bacchus cackled. "I drank her under the table! Man," he shook his head. "That Cana is _smokin_' ain't she? If I would've fought _her _in the games I woulda bet to have _her _for a night instead of them Strauss sisters!"

"_KEEP YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER YOU DRUNKEN PIECE OF SHIT!_" Gildarts lifted Bacchus by the throat and shook him like a rag doll, accidentally crushing half of the counter with his other hand.

"_DAUGHTER_?" Bacchus choked out.

"_Dad_!" Cana ran up. "You can't kill him 'til I avenge my pride as an alcoholic!" she grabbed his elbow and yanked.

Chelia ran up and sat next to Wendy. Happy munched on a fish beside Carla and Lily on the table. Mirajane walked up and set down a plate of kiwis besides Lily and he just about passed out from his excitement.

"Someday _we _should try for a unison raid, Wendy!" Chelia said. "I bet we could heal an entire hospital in a second if we did!"

"That would be wonderful, Chelia!" Wendy agreed. "It really is an amazing feeling. I combined my power with Lucy's and Natsu's when we fought Hades at Tenrou Island. Although it wasn't as large a scale as Natsu and Lucy's."

"It was beautiful!" Chelia fawned. "So full of _love_!"

"Speaking of Natsu," Carla said. "I'd like to hear the story behind his survival."

"Oh yeah," Wendy said. "We haven't gotten an explanation yet, have we?"

"Where is he, Happy?" Lily asked with a full mouth.

"He went home to get changed and take a shower," the cat said.

"You didn't want to go with him?" Chelia leaned forward.

Happy grinned, "Well… Lucy went with him… and I figured they needed some _alone _time if you know what I mean…"

Wendy and Chelia exchanged a wide-eyed look.

"Good one, Happy!" Erza said after overhearing from a nearby table. She gave him a thumbs up and he threw one right back. She turned back to her table of Jellal, Laxus, Gray, Juvia, and Lyon and announced, "The road to thirty-three babies starts _now_!"

"_YEAH_!" the guild hall erupted.

* * *

><p>"Ahhhh! Natsu threw himself to the floor of his house. "Home sweet home!"<p>

Lucy smiled and sat down at his dining table, "I cleaned it up for you. Did you notice?"

"You didn't do the laundry," he pointed to the pile of dirty clothes in the corner.

She stomped her heel in his back, "_SORRY I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO SPARE SINCE I WAS IN MOURNING AND ALL._"

"Gack!" Natsu writhed, "Sorry! I didn't mean it!"

Lucy pulled her foot out of his spine and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well? Go take a shower then. I'm starving."

Natsu stood and unzipped his jacket, "Okay! Do you want to join me, Lucy?"

"_Fuck _no!" Her face reddened.

"But you're my girlfriend now," he pointed out, pulling the jacket off and dropping it on the pile of laundry.

"Like that makes a difference!" she crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

"Doesn't it?" He cocked his head to the side.

Lucy glared at him and stood. "Natsu look."

"Hm?" he blinked at her.

Lucy started to slowly unbutton his one-armed jacket, revealing the deep plunge of her cleavage. Natsu's eyes went wide and his heart thundered in his chest. His mouth completely dried up and when she got halfway down her chest, his entire body burst into flames.

"See?" Lucy buttoned the jacket back up. "Now imagine if we were both completely naked. Not only would you roast me to a crisp, but the water would evaporate before we could even get any washing done!"

Natsu tugged on the collar of his shirt and looked away, sweat lining his brow, cheeks bright pink. "I— I guess you have a p-point…"

Lucy smiled, "Maybe if you can someday control yourself, we can."

"_REALLY_?" he turned back to her in excitement. "Wait! Do it again! I can hold back!"

"No way!" she propped her hands up on her hips. "Besides, we've only just started dating. What kind of easy girl would I be if I just jumped into bed with you right after our first kiss? Especially considering that it was my first kiss _ever_."

"Well mine too."

"Exactly. We gotta take baby steps here since we are both so inexperienced!"

Natsu pouted, "Mmmm _fine_." He lifted his t-shirt up and over his head.

"Do you have to undress right here? Can't you do that in the bathroom?"

"It's my house! I'll take my clothes off wherever I want!"

Lucy sighed. Her eyes wandered over the stretch of his chest. It was riddled with new scars. She gulped and approached him.

"What is it?" he cocked an eyebrow when she took on a serious expression.

Lucy stopped in front of him and tentatively touched the pale, raised skin of a scar over his heart. He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Lucy traced the scar and then moved to another. Natsu turned his face to the ceiling, suppressing the urge to tackle her.

"I'm very happy…" she whispered after a moment.

He looked back down at her, "Hm?"

Lucy stroked the especially large scar on his right side. "I'm very happy that you have these scars."

"Haah?" he frowned.

"It's proof that you healed," she sniffed and he noticed the glistening tears sliding off of her chin.

"Hey!" he reached out and took her shoulders. "Why you cryin'?"

Lucy threw her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his chest. "I'm so happy that you're alive Natsu! Without you… without you nothing seemed worth it. I tried to do what you… or _Kieran _said and just live but…" she sobbed and squeezed him tighter. "It was so _hard_. I couldn't stop thinking about you. Everything I looked at reminded me of you. Everything I heard reminded me of you. I didn't want to eat because everything I tasted reminded me of…" her voice turned muffled as she cried into his chest.

Natsu smiled and held her tight. "I'm sorry," he kissed the top of her head. "I missed you too. I wanted nothing more than to come home, to show you that I was still alive… but I didn't want Kieran's sacrifice to go to waste. I thought that by catching Solomon by surprise, I could defeat him before you had to lift a finger. But…" he scowled. "But Solomon knew all along that I was alive. When I found that out, I was furious. I could have been home with you all this time. I could have marched up to Empty Ark's door at your side. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she whispered, sniffing. "I realize that. But I still kinda want to make you suffer a little bit. Is that wrong of me?"

He laughed.

She pulled back from him, wiping at her eyes. "You need to go take a shower now. You stink!"

"Yeah yeah, I know. Are you sure you don't want to join me?"

"No fucking way!"

He grinned, "Alright fine. One day."

She blushed and looked away, "Yeah. One day."

"I can't wait."

"You're going to have to."

Natsu left the room and Lucy let out a massive sigh. "That guy is gonna run me into the ground," she muttered, rubbing her temples. She smiled ruefully, "Still…" she tugged on the scarf around her throat. "I love him."

* * *

><p>"Woo! Much better!" Natsu walked out of the bathroom wearing only a pair of loose white pants, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. "Hey Lucy, you want to take one now? Hm?" he stopped when he noticed her. She was curled up in his hammock, sleeping soundly. Warmth swelled up in his chest and he walked up quietly, dropping the towel on the table as he passed.<p>

He crouched down beside her and gently stroked her hair back from her slumbering face.

"_So cute_," he grinned.

"_Mmm_," she murmured in her sleep. "_Mmm… L-Lu…_"

Natsu chuckled and leaned forward. He kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

"_Lu-Lu…_" Lucy shifted. "_Lucy Kick…_" Her foot flashed out and slammed into Natsu's cheek, smashing him to the floor across the room.

He rested his head back on the floor, eyes spinning.

"Th-That's my girl!" he said woozily before passing out.

* * *

><p>"What's taking them so long?" Sting grumbled, resting his chin on the table dejectedly.<p>

Erza chuckled and shook her head, "Shall I explain, Sting? When a man and woman love each other very much…"

"Do you really think they're doing that right now?" Gray cocked an eyebrow. "I mean… they _just _started dating. And you know how dense those two are."

"Yeah," Gajeel said. "And today was the first time either of them even _kissed_. So that'd be making a huge jump right there."

"Love knows no bounds," Erza raised her hands flamboyantly.

"They went to Natsu's house, right?" Gildarts asked.

"Why are _you _here?" Gray grumbled. "Old men sit at the old men table," he pointed to where Makarov, Macao, Wakaba, Jura, and Ichiya sat drinking.

"Hey!" he whined. "I'm hip! I'm happenin'! C'mon, lemme sit with the cool kids."

"Whatever," he grumbled.

"They did go to Natsu's house," Erza confirmed. "That's what Happy told me."

"How's that gonna work then?" Gildarts sighed in exasperation. "Natsu doesn't have a bed!"

"If they were actually doing it," Cana said seriously, "Lucy would have to be on top. Or they'd have to do it on the floor or the table. Or the shower. But such a position is too advanced for a couple of virgins like them."

Gildarts opened his mouth to agree but then paused. He closed his mouth and then turned to Cana silently.

The woman took a long drink of her beer and set the mug down again.

"Not that I would know," she added.

Gildarts nodded in satisfaction.

"Not only that," Gray said, "But if they were really doing that, it would've ended _way_ sooner than this."

Everyone mumbled their agreement. Jellal stared around at the solemn table, eyes wide.

"_What is wrong with you people?_" he asked.

Erza slammed her palms down on the table and pushed up. She stood and clenched her right hand into a fist, "He's right! After all, there's still the matter of them not being married that we have just been ignoring!" She stepped over her bench. "We have to stop them! Such amorous acts should be between two married people only!"

"Let's crash their party!" Sting leapt to his feet.

"_YEAH_!"

The group moved from the guild and rushed out into the darkening day. They talked loudly amongst themselves, proclaiming their crowd to be soldiers of love justice. It took less than twenty minutes to reach Natsu's house on the outskirts of town. When they arrived, instead of barging through the door, they split up and crowded around the windows, pressing their faces close to the glass and peering through into the house.

"Move!" Gray nudged Gildarts. "You're taking up too much room!"

"Respect your elders, son!" he bumped him back out of the way.

"I don't see them," Cana grumbled, searching the room, flask in her hand.

On the other side of the house, Erza elbowed Jellal. "Lucy's in the hammock! She's asleep…"

"Where's Natsu?" he asked, ashamed about being roped in so easily to the Fairy Tail mages' ridiculous antics. Sting pushed down on his shoulders, trying to see around Erza's ponytail.

"I don't see him…"

"Look," Cana pointed. "There's Natsu! He's sleeping on the ground over there!"

"Are you serious?" Gray searched for the dragon slayer.

"Ahhhhhhh," Gildarts straightened away from the window and stomped around the house. "What a waste of youth!" he went to the front door, meeting Erza, Sting, and Jellal. Without hesitation, he kicked the door of the house down and walked inside.

"You useless kids!" he shouted, startling Lucy and Natsu awake. "You could've been over here havin' a good ol' time and instead you're taking naps on opposite sides of the house? What good are ya?"

Natsu yawned and sat up, "What's goin' on?"

"Natsu!" Sting bounded into the house. "Let's duke it out!"

He lunged at the pink haired man and they immediately started rolling around, crashing into the dining table, shooting fire and light this way and that. Cana, Erza, and Gray went to Lucy as she slid to the side of the hammock, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

Erza hugged the blonde instantly, "I was so worried that fiend had taken your precious innocence from you, my dear sweet Lucy."

"Weren't you just rooting for that back in the guild?" Gray pointed out.

"I most certainly was not!" Erza glared at him and then straightened, holding up a finger. "A maiden must stay pure until her wedding day. That is the only way to start the marriage out right."

Cana leaned forward and jabbed Lucy in the collar. "You need to get crackin' girl. We can do squats together to get you in shape. And I'll teach you some different positions so you don't go in blind, mmkay?"

"What?" Gildarts' voice sounded from the doorway.

"Not that I would know," she added and took a sip from her flask.

Lucy blinked up at them groggily, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Gildarts!" Natsu roared, leaping to his feet. Sting had been KO'd and was draped across a wooden chest, bruises decorating his swollen face. Natsu rushed the older man, "_YOU'RE NEXT! FIGHT ME!_"

Gildarts sighed and tossed him out the door. Natsu hollered as he hit the ground and then started rolling down the hill towards Magnolia. "C'mon," Gildarts said to the others. "Let's go celebrate that idiot's return."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay. So here's the deal. Everyone keeps demanding that I keep this going on. Which I appreciate, because it just shows how much you guys love this story and hey, so do I. But here's the problem. The world turns on ideas, right? And I've got no more ideas for this story! Sure, I probably could eventually lead them down the path to an even greater enemy and maybe kill Lucy next time or some such crap... but I'm also a rolling stone. And when I'm done with something... it's hard for me to keep at it. I'm gonna fluff it up in the next few chapters so you aren't just dropped off like a baby at a fire station, but as for plot, Her Strength is pretty much finished.<strong>

**I shall be moving on after this.**

**To another NaLu fanfic. So to be honest I won't be moving on very far.**

**But it won't be like this one in the least. It'll be a new Lucy. A new Natsu. A new time, place, universe. A new adventure. And the people that are so in love with this fanfic might think the new one sucks. And that's okay. Because it's a different story. I don't expect you all to just immediately love it merely because I wrote it. I'm just happy that you loved this one so much! I hope to find more and more people that love my writing, even if it's an entirely new troupe. But don't get me wrong, I really hope you guys do read my new story and love it too. But if you don't, I won't hold it against you. I've really enjoyed reading through the reviews and seeing the names that have been by my side since Chapter One. I consider each and every one of you to be my special friends and I want you to know that. I've loved listening to your music suggestions and "hearing" your laughter and feeling your love through your words of support. It means the absolute world to me.**

**I especially love knowing that my updates have given you all something to look forward to on a daily (and not so daily) basis. Because the world turns on ideas, but ideas are fueled by excitement. Your excitement. And yeah, I'm a little sad to see the end coming so soon (60+ chapters soon) but this really is just the beginning. Fairy Tail is my absolute obsession and I will never stop loving it. Which means I will enjoy writing fanfiction about it for as long as I can.**

**So for those of you that won't be following me to my other story, please just know that I will always be here if you want to talk. About anything. You really mean the world to me and I will always be around to give help. **

**Wow. This sounds like I'm saying goodbye. I'm not. I still have a few more chapters to write after this. So stay tuned. I love you all dearly.**

**TRACKS:**

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><p><strong>"Don't Go Slow" by Benjamin Francis Leftwich<strong>

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><p><strong>"Woodland" by Paper Kites<strong>

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><p><strong>I love love love you all! Thank you so much for staying by my side all this time!<strong>

**Love-Moo**


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